


A Whole New Life

by dippity_dip_dipperson



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Aftercare, Biting, Blow Jobs, Comfort, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Freeform, Friends to Lovers, Jealous Sidon, Jealousy, Kissing, Love, Love Bites, Making Out, Marking, Mount Lanayru, Rated Mature for Later Chapters, Reader-Insert, Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Smut, Spoilers, Spring of Wisdom, Vaginal Fingering, bio-luminescent Sidon, botw, but you know, divine beast spoilers, either way shark husband is not happy, fluff usually leads to smut, i'll add tags with new chapters, might kinda mess with timelines a bit, or is it jealousy?, protective sidon, slight hylian racism, so much fluff i can feel my teeth rotting at the sweetness, so we'll see ;3c, supportive shark boyfriend also glOWS AT NIGHT OH MY GOSH, vah rutah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2018-10-08 05:09:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 26,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10379211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dippity_dip_dipperson/pseuds/dippity_dip_dipperson
Summary: Just a reader-insert fic with everyone's favorite motivational shark prince. Don't really have a set plot for this, just writing stuff out as I think of it. Hope you all enjoy it!





	1. Taking the Plunge

"Sidon, are you sure this is alright...?" Your grip on the Zora's hand tightened as though you would be ripped away at any second. Being a Hylian, you were afraid the difference in race would make you an outcast and you wouldn't be welcome in the Zora's Domain. Your other hand had a firm grip on the backpack you wore containing the journals and various writing utensils you normally had on you. Sidon gave a warm chuckle and squeezed your hand softly to comfort you.

"(Y/N), don't worry, everything will be fine. You have my word." He looked down at you with that sharp toothed smile that always made you feel better and you couldn't help but return it. He returned his gaze to the path ahead as he continued to speak. "While it's true that many of my people used to hold a grudge against Hylians, that grudge has long been forgotten, ever since that Link fellow came and calmed the Divine Beast Vah Rutah for us. And if anyone does say something to upset you, I'll be there to take care of it." You let out a relieved sigh and smiled shakily ahead of you. You hadn't known Sidon for long, but the two of you became fast friends and had met frequently at the various bridges lining Zora River. You normally would spend your days sketching in your journal with your feet dangling lazily in the river, while he either swam around or sat beside you and watched you drawing, and your conversations never seemed to end, one subject flowing to the other until it started getting late and you would have to go make camp nearby.

Before you knew it, you were at the bridge leading to the kingdom that Sidon called home. The sight took your breath away, and your mind went back to the events of that morning and the night before.

_You sighed and trudged away after you saw that Sidon was out of sight. You didn't want him to know you technically didn't have a real home, the last thing you wanted was for him to worry about you. After finding a nice little alcove you grabbed some wood and started a fire, making yourself comfortable with the worn down blanket and pillow you carried with you. Almost as soon as you started dozing off, a loud boom of thunder jolted you up and you yelped out of surprise. Luckily the alcove you had found provided enough coverage, but you had seen what happens to trees that get struck by lightning, and you didn't wanna find out first hand how those trees felt. You bunched your blanket up closer to you and curled up as much as you could, your back against the cold rocks behind you. "This would happen..." With a sigh you closed your eyes, trying to get back to sleep, but the feeling of being watched made that nearly impossible. Slowly you peeked one eye open, and as soon as you did lightning struck, lighting up the sky and showing the silhouette of someone running towards you. Your heart jumped into your throat and almost instantly you were on your feet, wielding the crude dagger you kept on your hip at all times._

_"Wait! It's me, Sidon! (Y/N), I started to worry about you when this storm hit so I came to check on you!" Still shaking, you dropped the dagger and just fell to your knees, holding the blanket close around you and shivering. The storm had brought in a cold you hadn't noticed while you were wrapped up in your blanket. In the back of your mind you were freaking out about him finding out this was how you lived, but you were far too tired and drained to really think about that right now. Once he was finally under the alcove with you, Sidon sat next to you and held you close, attempting to keep you warm. He didn't provide you much warmth, but you leaned into him anyway, happy to have the company. "(Y/N)... This isn't how you live, is it?" Your body tensed but you stayed silent, not really knowing what to say in your tired state. You felt him shift slightly and could feel him looking down at you. "Come up to the Zora's Domain with me tomorrow. I'll talk to father about getting you somewhere to stay up there, where you can be safe and have a roof over your head."_

_The kindness and concern behind his words had a knot forming in your throat, and you just shook your head, not trusting yourself to speak. You didn't want to become a burden to the only friend you had really had. He firmly but gently grasped your shoulders and made you look up at him. "I will not take no for an answer. It isn't safe for you to be out here on your own every night, and I can't just leave knowing this is how you've been living. Father is very welcoming and kind, I know he'll have a place for you among the Zoras." You felt your eyes shimmering with tears, and the moment you tried to thank him you broke down into a sobbing mess. No one had ever been this kind to you before, and you hugged him as tightly as you could. Without saying anything more he just held you to his side, his large hand covering most of your back as his thumb moved in a circular motion, calming you down some. Your thoughts and emotions were a mess, and slowly you drifted off into sleep, staying close to Sidon's side._

_When you awoke the next morning, the first thing you noticed was that you were moving. And that someone was carrying you. Someone very tall. Before opening your eyes, you replayed all the memories of the night before in your head and almost got choked up again. With a deep breath, you opened your eyes and looked up to see who was carrying you. Sure enough, it was Sidon, and he noticed you were awake almost instantly._

_"Ah, good morning (Y/N)! You seemed to be having a rough time sleeping last night, so I didn't want to wake you this morning. Are you alright?" He seemed to notice how nervous you were, and you just ran your hand through your hair before taking a deep breath._

_"Uhm... I-I appreciate you letting me rest and all... But do you think you could maybe... Put me down...? I feel bad enough that you're already doing so much for me, the least I could do is walk by myself and carry my own things." You nodded slightly to your backpack, which had been slung over the Zora's broad shoulders, and he stopped to set you down gently with a smile. He then handed you your backpack and waited for you to slip it over your shoulders before turning you and guiding you gently toward the path to the Zora's Domain._

Your mind came back to the scene before you and your fingers itched for your journal. You wanted nothing more than to draw everything out, to capture its beauty on paper for you to keep forever. Sidon must have noticed the look on your face, because he laughed warmly as he let go of your hand. "It is quite a sight to behold, isn't it?" You just nodded, awestruck. He pushed you forward gently and continued. "I knew you'd like it here. Come on now, I want my father to meet our newest resident." You just followed his direction while your eyes drank in all the sights around you. The beautiful, shimmering towers, the adorable Zora children running around and giggling as they played, and finally your eyes settled on a statue right in the center of the whole structure. It seemed to depict a Zora girl, her beauty captured in every detail, as she gracefully held a spear pointed down to the ground. Rather than going around it as Sidon urged you to, you walked up to it and just stood there, entranced by the beauty of the whole thing. 

"That... Is my late sister Mipha." You looked up at Sidon and noticed a sad smile on his face. "May her spirit rest in peace. She was a champion you know." He looked down at you, and continued when he saw the intrigue written all over your face. "More than 100 years ago, she was chosen to stand alongside Princess Zelda and the hero Link to aid them in sealing Calamity Ganon away." The both of you looked back at the statue as you thought back to the time when Ganon all but obliterated Hyrule. "She fought valiantly, wanting nothing more than to protect Link, the Hylian who held such a special place in her heart. Sadly, she fell, but her spirit has been able to rest since Ganon has been sealed away." You could see the pride in his eyes as he looked up at the serene face of Mipha, and you could tell he loved his sister dearly. 

"That's... Amazing," you whispered softly. You cleared your throat slightly and looked up at him. "Would you mind if I tried to draw a portrait of her sometime?" The smile he gave you then was so genuine and warm that it made your heart skip a beat. 

"I would love that (Y/N). And I know she would too." You nodded quickly and looked to the ground. You could feel your cheeks heating up and you weren't sure why. In a moment Sidon's hand was on your shoulder and he started gently guiding you again. "Father is just up these stairs. No need to be nervous, everything will be alright." You let out a deep breath and nodded again, holding your head higher as you made your way up the staircase. Sidon made his way in front of you to greet his father as you reached the top of the stairs. 

"Father, I'm home! I apologize for not coming back last night, and I'm truly sorry for any concern I might have caused, but I had to check on my friend here during that terrible storm. Once I discovered she didn't have a home, there was no way I could just leave her there alone." His father, who was very large, even for a Zora, let out a booming laugh. 

"My son, all that matters is that you are home safe. I'm proud of you for putting others first and helping them out when you can, as a prince should." 

_Wait, PRINCE?!?!?_ you thought to yourself. _He never said anything about being a prince!!_ You did your best to stay calm, but inside you were flipping out. You had been spending your days with a prince all this time! _Oh Goddess I hope I didn't do anything he would see as disrespectful!_ While you were having your mini freak out in your mind, his father, the King, turned his attention to you. 

"So this must be (Y/N), the Hylian my son has been speaking so highly of! It's very nice to meet you my child, my boy here has been singing your praise for the past few weeks now." You swallowed hard and did your best to ignore the heat creeping into your face. You glanced over at Sidon for reassurance, but he seemed... Almost embarrassed? _Why would he be embarrassed?_ You shook the thought from your head and returned your attention back to the king, giving him your warmest smile as you bowed slightly.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance your majesty." As you stood back up straight you heard him chuckle while giving you a welcoming smile. The sight made you relax some and you let out a sigh you didn't even realize you had been holding in.

"Now that the formalities are out of the way, I insist you go enjoy yourself. I will take care of the preparations for your room, so it should be ready for you by nightfall. Sidon, my boy, give her the grand tour so that she may become fully acquainted with her new home." After thanking the king and walking down the stairs by Sidon's side, you elbowed him discreetly but hard enough to get his attention.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're a prince??" you questioned through clenched teeth. He looked thoughtful for a moment and then shrugged before guiding you to the left to make your way up a ramp.

"I could have sworn I had mentioned it. Ah well, I do apologize, it must have slipped my mind. I've noticed that you tend to have that effect on me." You started to fidget nervously at the comment and he, upon noticing this, cleared his throat and turned his attention toward the large waterfall that was roaring down behind the king's chambers. Though he continued walking, he didn't notice that you had stopped to look over the edge of the railing to the water below. Suddenly something in the waves was calling to you, and you slipped your pack off your shoulders as you climbed up onto the railing, being sure to keep yourself steady.

_Don't worry, you'll be safe. I promise you this._

The soft, gentle voice in your head normally would have alarmed you, but instead you smiled down towards the shimmering light from the sun shining on the water's surface. At this moment, Sidon realized he was walking alone and turned to find you on the railing. You saw the concern and worry in his eyes for only a moment before giving a reassuring smile, and the next moment you had jumped, diving off the edge into the water below.


	2. A Welcome Encounter

As you plummeted straight down toward the surface of the water, the only thing you could hear over the rush of the wind past your ears was the laugh that bubbled up out of you. You felt exhilarated, loving every moment of the wind shooting through your hair as you sliced through it, your entire body straight as you held your hands together ahead of you. The air gradually started to get cooler as you got closer to the water, and you closed your eyes with a grin plastered on your face. Within moments you were cutting through the water just as you had the air, and the sensation of the water taking you completely into its embrace made you feel content. It was as though you were finally where you belonged. Yet, after a while of sinking down, you opened your eyes to find out why you hadn't floated back up to the surface. A stream of bubbles escaped from your mouth and nostrils as you started to panic, fearing that you would run out of oxygen. But no matter how hard you tried to get to the surface, it only seemed to pull further away until the dark tranquility of the depths almost completely enveloped you.

_It's alright (Y/N), you can breathe down here._

It was the same voice you had heard before diving down into the water. As you looked around for the source of the gentle sound, you did as she said and took a deep breath, half expecting to just get a mouth full of water. Instead, you were surprised by the feeling of just breathing normally, as though you were on land, yet you could still see your hair floating in the water around your head. You decided to attempt to speak to the unseen entity.

"Who... Who are you...? And how do you know my name?" Before getting any sort of response, you saw a soft pink glow out of the corner of your eye. You turned to it, slowly floating towards it, and a figure started shimmering into appearance before you. It looked as though it were made of thousands of tiny bubbles in the water.

_I am Princess Mipha. I brought you down here because I wanted to meet the girl who my brother Sidon is so enamored with._ At that you felt your cheeks get warm, and before you could ask any questions, the apparition of the late Zora princess came closer and rested her hand on your cheek. _I had my heart stolen by a Hylian as well, so I wanted to see you for myself. Sidon is very much in love with you, even though he still hasn't discovered that for himself. When he talks to that statue every night, he's talking to me, and telling me all about the Hylian he met down by the river, the one who loves to draw and tell stories and who swims with him and keeps him company._ You were full on blushing now, but you smiled at her and rested your hand over hers, being gentle for fear of making her disappear. _Please take good care of my little brother. He deserves the best, and I do believe he's found it. It's time for you to go back, but I'll be watching over both of you._ You could see a soft smile on her features, and before you could say anything to her, you were breaking through the surface of the water, gasping in air as you did.

As you looked around frantically, confused as how you got up to the surface so quickly, you heard Sidon calling for you and looked up to where you had jumped from.

"(Y/N)! Thank the Goddess you're ok!" He then jumped from the railing just as you had and dove into the water next to you, coming up to the surface so that you were lifted onto his back. You wrapped your arms around his neck and smiled to yourself as he continued. "That was extremely reckless, what if you had jumped in the wrong spot? What if there had been rocks where you landed??" You could hear the worry in his voice and felt a twinge of guilt twist in your stomach. You held onto him tighter and hid your face under the tail coming off of his head.

"I'm sorry Sidon... Something in the water was calling to me, and I just suddenly wanted to feel the wind rushing past me as I dove towards it." You weren't lying... You just didn't feel like now was the right time to mention your exchange with Mipha, and so decided to keep that bit of information to yourself for the moment. "The last thing I ever want to do is worry you, so I truly am sorry." You felt him heave a sigh as he started making his way toward a waterfall coming from one of the towers surrounding the kingdom.

"It's alright (Y/N), just... Please do be more careful from now on. I'd be devastated if anything were to happen to you." You smiled and nestled into his neck, holding on tightly as he made quick work of dashing up the waterfall and landing back on the ground with you still on his back.

"I promise I won't do anything reckless again. I won't ever leave you."


	3. Under the Stars

"Hnnn... It's actually looking better than I thought it would." You let out a yawn and stretched as you sat your journal down in your lap. You had just finished getting acquainted with the kingdom earlier, as well as your new room that just happened to be right next to Sidon's, not that you were complaining, and you decided to make your way to the top of the waterfall to soak your feet in the small pool of water there. The sky above you was navy velvet covered in countless shining stars, and the lantern you had carried with you provided you light while you sketched. After seeing Mipha appear to you earlier that day, you decided to start on that drawing you had mentioned doing to Sidon. You were almost done with it, and decided to lay back in the grass for a moment to look up at the stars. The night sky had always been so amazing to you, there was a beauty there that couldn't be captured quite right no matter how you tried, and that's what made it so dazzling to you. It always looked just slightly different each night, but the sight of it always took your breath away. As a cool breeze blew over you, your eyes drifted shut and you gave a contented sigh, your fingers gently running through the blades of grass beneath them. Before you could even realize, you had drifted off to sleep, lulled away by the cool air and the sound of night life buzzing around you.

** Sidon's POV **

As he made his way back toward his room after a while of visiting the statue of his sister, Sidon noticed that your door was slightly ajar, and you had left the light on in your room. "Now what is she doing up so late...?" he mumbled to himself. He strode up to your door and rapped on it lightly with his knuckles. "(Y/N)? Is everything alright?" He received no answer and tried once more. "You're not having trouble sleeping, are you? If you're having a hard time adjusting to your new home, I'm always here to listen if you need to talk." Yet still no reply. He sighed and shook his head with a tired smile. He thought maybe you had fallen asleep with your light on, so he gently pushed the door open to turn off your lamp for you. When he didn't see you laying in your bed, he looked around for a moment, wondering if maybe you had passed out on the floor or something. He noticed that your bag was gone, along with your journal and the oil lantern that had been in your room, and realized that you had probably gone off somewhere to draw as you usually did. After walking over and turning your light off, he closed the door behind him slowly, looking up toward the top of the large waterfall cascading down into the Zora River. Sure enough, he saw the soft, faint glow of your lantern and started making his way up there.

***one short swim later***

"Aha, there she is. I do wish she would be more careful, she shouldn't be wandering around on her own at night." Stepping up out of the water he softly made his way toward you, noticing that you had fallen asleep and not wanting to wake you. He knelt down next to you and started gathering your things, putting out the lantern before noticing the open journal on your lap. Looking closer, he saw that you had been drawing his sister, and he couldn't stop the tears shimmering in his eyes. You had captured her likeness so perfectly, it was almost as though he were looking at a colorless photo of her. As he went to pick up the journal to get a closer look at the drawing, a light gust of wind blew through and flipped the pages of your journal, landing on a page you had been sketching on a few days prior. What the prince saw made his heart skip a beat and the luminescent parts of his scales started to glow brighter.

The drawings he saw were of him, ones you had done while he had been swimming around and re-telling the story of how he helped the great hero to board the divine beast Vah Rutah. There were sketches of him from all different angles, smiling and laughing, swimming with you on his back... He glanced up at your face and quickly looked away. The soft pink glow he was emitting cast soft shadows on your sleeping form, making your face look smooth and soft, and he had a hard time resisting the urge to touch your skin. Internally he scolded himself for acting in such a way, but slowly his hand made its way to your face as he looked at you again, his heart jumping up into his throat when you smiled in your sleep. Gently, he brushed his knuckles over your cheek, making sure not to rub the wrong way and scrape your skin with his scales. Your skin felt just as warm and soft as it looked, and he swallowed hard as his face slowly inched closer to yours.

Without warning you nuzzled into his hand, still fast asleep, but it startled him enough to make him stop in his tracks and slowly pull his hand away. Letting out a shaky sigh he started gathering your things again and placed them into your backpack, slinging it over his shoulders before gently lifting you and carrying you back to your room. He had a hard time sleeping that night, and he could've sworn Mipha was giggling as she watched his predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I just love the idea of Sidon having parts of his scales that glow at night (https://promsien.tumblr.com/post/158467157604/bio-luminescent-sidon-bonus) and wanted to have something to that effect in here because oh my goodness it's gorgeous!


	4. Harsh Words, Cruel Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick update, sorry for taking so long to upload this, having some family issues at home but I'm back! I'm gonna try to update AT LEAST 4-5 times a week. Also, thank you all so much for the kudos and the wonderful comments! I had NO IDEA this would get over 1000 hits!!! *fans myself and dramatically pretends to faint* You guys are AWESOME!!!
> 
> Now, with all that being said, I hope you all enjoy!!

With a loud groan you rolled away from the sunlight streaming in through your window and onto your face, grabbing your pillow and pulling it over your head. It wasn't until you kicked your cover off of your feet that you realized you had somehow ended up back in your room with no recollection as to how you got there. You rubbed your eyes and slowly sat up, placing your feet on the floor with your back facing the window. Glancing down you saw your backpack propped up against your bed and you smiled, grabbing your journal out from it. You would have to find Sidon later and ask if he was the one that brought you back, but for now you wanted to put the finishing touches on the sketch you had been working on for him. After you rubbed the sleep out of your eyes and made sure you were fully awake, you started working on the last bits of shading needed to finish the drawing, and after you were finished you gently pulled the page out of your journal. Once you were satisfied with how the whole thing looked, you sat the drawing on your dresser and began working on fully waking yourself up.

"Ohhhhhh, thank Hylia it felt SO much better sleeping in a bed than on the ground," you groaned as you stretched. For the first time since you can remember, you were able to wake up without an uncomfortable crick in your neck or back. You took a quick look outside to see that it was nice and warm today, the sun shining down and making the whole domain sparkle, before going to rummage through the drawers of your new dresser. Luckily the Zora's were kind enough to provide you with some new clothes, all of them simple but gorgeous. You were thankful that your trusty boots were still in good shape, because that seemed to be the only thing you wouldn't be able to get there. After looking for a bit you settled on a simple sleeveless tunic that was a stunning shade of deep purple and had beautiful black embellishments weaving over the entire fabric, made of a shimmery material that glistened softly in the sunlight, and the whole thing stopped and flowed gently just over your knees. For pants, you found some shorts that stopped midway between your knees and your ankles, and the form-fitting fabric they were made from was the same shade of black as the embellishments on the tunic. Searching through a different drawer, you found a belt that was made of leather that was such a dark shade of brown that it almost looked black, with a silver buckle, and cinched it loosely around your waist.

Once you finished piecing together your new outfit, you did a quick once-over in front of the full length mirror standing near the door to your room, and decided you were just missing one thing. After searching through your bag for a bit, you found the black ribbon that you had held onto for so long and stepped back in front of the mirror, using the ribbon to tie your hair up into a low ponytail that cascaded gently down your back. You were beaming at your reflection, so happy and relieved to be wearing something other than the very small selection of clothing you normally had. _It's amazing what wonders a simple outfit change can do for someone's confidence,_ you thought to yourself. With one more quick nod and a smile, you slipped into your boots, grabbed the drawing off of your dresser, and headed out in search of Sidon.

** Sidon's POV **

After he finished his conversation with one of the guards, the prince sighed and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and he was finding it hard to focus. But he had been able to keep himself busy enough so he hadn't had enough time to really think about what had happened when he found (Y/N) by the waterfall. To think about how peaceful she looked, or how soft her skin was, or how he had almost... His thought trailed off as he realized a blush was creeping onto his cheeks, and he was mentally slapping himself just as she showed up and gently tapped on his back. Because he had been so lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize she had come up behind him, and he nearly jumped out of his scales at the sudden contact. He quickly whirled around, and once he saw that his visitor was not at eye level, he realized that it was (Y/N) and sighed, chuckling.

"You must be careful doing that (Y/N), you frightened m-" Just as he was about to finish his sentence, he actually looked at the Hylian before him and stopped short. She was wearing some of the clothes he had a tailor make for her and placed in her dresser, a sleeveless, deep purple tunic paired with black form-fitting pants, and her hair had been loosely tied up so that it made a sort of waterfall down her back. The way the embellishments on the tunic shimmered in the sunlight made her look positively radiant, and he didn't realize that he had been silently staring until her voice snapped him back to reality.

"Uhm, Sidon? You alright there? You look like a fish out of water." He laughed nervously at her joke and rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. She just beamed at him and continued talking, much to his relief. "I finally got that sketch of Mipha done last night, and I wanted to give it to you as soon as possible." It was then that he noticed the piece of paper in her grasp, and he smiled gratefully as she handed it to him. Looking at it, he saw that the only difference from when he saw it the night before was a few small extra details and the shading on the whole thing, but it still took his breath away and brought tears to his eyes. "Oh, oh Goddess it's all wrong, isn't it? I'm so sorry, I'll try again and do better, I knew I wouldn't be able to do her justice, I'm so so-"

"(Y/N), stop, it's perfect." He dried his eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder, practically glowing with happiness and pride. The warmth he exuded caused a light shade of pink to dust over her cheeks, but he didn't think anything of it as he picked her up in a hug and swung her gently in a circle. She squealed slightly, and the following giggles were like music to his ears. After gently setting her down, he thanked her for the drawing and went to his room to find somewhere to place it.

** Reader's POV **

After Sidon walked away you were frantically smacking your cheeks in an attempt to quell the heat building up under the skin, though the grin was there to stay. Since you knew he couldn't see you, you hugged yourself tightly and jumped slightly, feeling positively giddy after the whole interaction. You saw a couple of Zora girls stop what they were doing to give you strange looks, and you immediately pulled yourself back together, clearing your throat and smoothing out your tunic. But when you looked up, they were approaching you, and you put on your friendliest smile. "Hello! My name is (Y/N), and I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting the two of you yet!" You offered your hand to introduce yourself, but they just looked down at it and sneered.

"You do realize he's never gonna go for a _Hylian_ right?" the taller, light blue colored Zora practically spat at you. The slightly shorter one, who was a bright shade of green, scoffed and piped in.

"Yeah, I mean, he's a _Zora prince_ , what would he want with a less-than-average _Hylian_ like you?" The sudden harsh words caught you off guard and you flinched at the sting they left on you. "He's just being nice to you because he _pities_ you, like some kind of unwanted, lost puppy."

"Yeah, and we would know what he does and doesn't want, since we're pretty high-up members of the Prince Sidon Fan Club." You just cleared your throat and forced a smile, doing your best to calm your trembling bottom lip.

"Well, uh, well, i-it was very nice to meet the two of you but I really must be going now," the last half of your sentence came out rushed, turning quickly and leaving as fast as you could so that they wouldn't see the tears threating to cascade down your face. Just like that, the happiness you had felt was stomped flat, and you couldn't help but think those girls were right. It was when you started thinking about how Sidon must really pity you after the conditions he saw you living in, that he appeared before you.

"(Y/N), would you do me the honor of coming to my room so that I can show you how I've framed the drawing you gave me? I'm very happy with how it looks and I would very much like to share it with you and know what you think." He looked at you expectantly, smiling, and your throat tightened as your eyes started to sting.

"Actually, I-I need to go take care of something, I'm very sorry." You stepped around him quickly and kept your head down, hiding the tears that had already formed and dripped down from your eyes, and kept your head down until you made it to your room and shut the door behind you. You curled up on your side on your bed and squeezed your pillow close, your only company the stinging words of those girls ringing in your ears. You hated crying, but you couldn't help it, because deep down, you were terrified that they might be right.

** Sidon's POV **

Sidon was confused, it wasn't like (Y/N) to just brush him off like that, and she seemed very upset. And... _Was she crying...?_ he wondered when he saw the small water droplets on the ground where she had been walking. He looked around, trying to figure out what had happened, when he made eye contact with two girls standing off to the side. They burst into a fit of giggles and he sighed. He was going to have to talk to those nuisances about disbanding that annoying "fan club" of theirs. _Especially_ if it meant they were going to go around and hurt someone he cared so deeply about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh, Sidon's getting protective now! I like to think that the Prince Sidon Fan Club is a pretty big annoyance to our favorite shark husband, but he's tolerated it till now because they haven't been doing any harm. BUT those snobby girls just upset the wrong Hylian, and he's not just gonna stand by and let it happen ;3c


	5. Let Me Protect You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting out in Sidon's POV this time!

The prince did his best to contain the growl threatening to bubble up from his chest. The two Zora girls before him had just finally finished their little giggling fit, and his annoyance toward them grew with each passing second. Rather than growling he settled with clearing his throat, rather forcefully, and the two shut up instantly, still smiling at him. "Now, this is the last time I'm going to ask. Just _what_ did you say to (Y/N) to make her so upset?" He straightened out his back and set his shoulders, towering to his maximum height and attempting to intimidate them. Instead they seemed to swoon, and the green one started giggling when the blue one spoke.

"Look, we don't know _why_ the little Hylian got so upset, we just said hi to her."

The other one decided to pipe in at this point, and Sidon wanted to smack the smug grin from her face. He normally was not violent in the slightest, but these girls were _**really**_ pushing his buttons.

"Yeah, besides, what does it matter if she's upset? She's a _Hylian peasant_ , she doesn't belong here anyway."

The moment the words left her mouth, Sidon's eyes flared with intense anger, and before he could stop himself a growl rumbled out from his chest, his tail smacking angrily from side to side behind his head. The girls immediately shrank before him and any ego they had instantly deflated. Their faces had grown somber and he practically loomed over them as he spoke.

"You will **not** speak of (Y/N) that way ever again. Do I make myself clear?" They nodded quickly and he continued. "I was already barely tolerating this nuisance of a _fan club_ and those who considered themselves a part of it. I had assumed it wasn't doing any harm, but you've made it apparent now that I assumed wrong. You crossed a line, you upset and belittled a very close friend, whom I hold very dear to me, and I will **not** allow it to happen again. From this point forward, your little fan club is hereby **disbanded**. And if I catch wind of you speaking badly of (Y/N) again, I **will** be sure to address the issue myself. Now get out of my sight." With those last words, the two practically flew away, stumbling over themselves as they went. Once they were out of sight, the prince let out a deep sigh and relaxed, his anger deflating into concern for his friend. Calming the heart beating rapidly in his chest, he made his way towards (Y/N)'s room, wanting only to comfort her and make sure she was ok.

** Reader's POV **

With a long sigh you swiped at your eyes, feeling worn down from the all the crying and the emotional strain that had been put on you. The tears finally stopped, but the pain was still there. They were right, after all. There was no way the prince of the Zora's would willingly have anything to do with a lowly Hylian such as yourself. He probably pitied you, and that was the only reason he was being remotely friendly towards you. You thought of how it might have been, being something more than a friend to Sidon, and your heart ached. You pulled your pillow over your face and whimpered softly, heartbroken over something you never really even had in the first place.

You had been so caught up in your own thoughts and emotions that you didn't even hear the knock on your door, or the way Sidon gently whispered your name as he pushed it open. You didn't even see him with the pillow over your face, and it wasn't until he sat down on the bed next to you that you noticed you weren't alone.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry, please just leave me alone! I get it, I'm not good enough for Sidon! Please! Just leave me alone..." You were frantic and trembling as the words tumbled out of your mouth, curling in on yourself. You just held the pillow tighter to you, assuming it was the two Zora girls from before that had broken into your room just to torment you more.

"Is that what they told you that had you so upset...?" Hearing the prince's voice rather than one of the cruel girls from before made you jump slightly, and you scrambled to sit up, doing your best to get rid of any evidence that you had been crying.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not upset, I'm perfectly fine!" You could see it in his face that he knew you were lying, and his eyes were soft as he opened his arms to you. You bit down on the inside of your cheek and looked away, hugging yourself tightly. "Besides... An esteemed Zora prince like you shouldn't be wasting his time with a less-than-average _Hylian_ like me." You repeated the words that had been bouncing around in your head and pulled your legs to your chest, resting your forehead against your knees, your nails digging into your arms as you bit back tears. You felt the bed shift below you as a weight was lifted off of it and sighed, assuming Sidon had realized the truth in your words and left you there alone. But soon you felt him lingering at the side of your bed, and before you could react he grabbed your shoulders and turned you to face him, gently capturing your chin between the fingers of one hand to make your gaze meet his while his other hand gently rubbed your bare shoulder. You saw that he was kneeling beside your bed, making it easier for him to be at eye level with you, and noticing how small the distance was between your face and his had your heart racing.

"Now listen here (Y/N). Whatever those dreadful girls told you, I want you to banish all of those thoughts from your mind. They will not bother you anymore, I'll make sure of it." His stern expression turned to a soft one, and his hand rubbing over your shoulder was giving you goosebumps. "As for everything else... It couldn't be further from the truth. You are not just some 'less-than-average Hylian'. You are an amazing creature. You're witty and intelligent, your beauty far surpasses that of any creature I've ever seen, your artistic talent never ceases to amaze me, and you are by far one of the sweetest and kindest people I have ever met. You have a heart of gold, an adventurous spirit, and you _always_ brighten my day with that dazzling smile of yours." The more he talks, the warmer you can feel your face growing, and you start to squirm nervously under his gaze, not used to being complimented so much at once. He started to stand slightly, and you almost whine at the loss of his touch on you, but it returned shortly as he lifted you gently and sat on the edge of the bed with you cradled in his lap. At this point you were so overwhelmed with nerves that you froze, your entire face the same shade as a Hearty Radish.

"And (Y/N), don't you ever think, even for a second, that you are in any way a waste of my time. From the moment I met you, I would make a point of making sure I had enough time to spend with you every day that it was possible. The desire to stay by your side is a strong one, and... I wanted to know if you would allow me to do so." For a moment you just stared at him, blushing and confused, not really registering what he was asking. You noticed that his smile was a nervous one, and his cheeks were red as well. Suddenly, it clicked, and your eyes widened in disbelief.

"Y-you mean you... You wanna be... W-with me? Like... You want me to be your..."

"My mate," he finished for you, nodding as his blush grew brighter and he watched you expectantly. _Hnnnn he is just too damned cute,_ you thought to yourself, squirming nervously under his gaze. You attempted to speak, to tell him yes, that was what you've been wanting all along, but your voice was failing you. Instead, you answered him by taking a risk. You slowly sat up in his arms and turned toward him, draping your arms over his shoulders as you swallowed hard, fighting down your nerves. You noticed his eyes growing wider as he realized what you were doing, and your smile was soft and nervous as your lips brushed tentatively against his. Your heart was threatening to leap up and out of your throat at this point, but even if you wanted to back out you couldn't now. The prince had a firm grip on your upper arms, and you felt a soft puff of air from his lips as he sighed. His eyes fluttered closed, as did yours, and he gently pressed against you, questioning.

In response you let out the softest of moans, your body relaxing against him as one of his hands slid up to the back of your head, his fingers weaving through your hair, and the other hand found a place on your hip, holding you close as he deepened the kiss slightly, just enough to send tingles to various places in your body. He was being so careful with you, so tender, and the feeling it gave you was indescribable. You were melting at his touch, your body molding perfectly against his, and you let out a soft groan when he was the one to pull away and break the kiss. He was smiling at you, and he seemed almost dazed. The thought that you were the one that caused that look made you incredibly proud, and you just barely bit your lip as you smiled up at him.

"So I take that as a yes?" he questioned, seeming slightly out of breath. You simply nodded and nuzzled into him, and you felt him hum contentedly as he embraced you, keeping you as close as he possibly could. You felt as though Mipha was watching the two of you and smiling, and your heart swelled with overwhelming joy.

 _Please (Y/N), do take good care of him._ Hearing Mipha's voice, you smiled and nodded slightly. You would never let anything happen to your mate.


	6. Implications

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, ok, I know, I said I was gonna update 4-5 times a week and immediately went MIA, I'm sorry! >A<" I've had a lot of stuff going on, most of which is directly related to my anxiety/depression, which in turn lowers my drive to do... Well, anything really. But I'm trying to get back up there!

With a tired sigh you run your hand through your hair, ignoring the obvious stares you recieve from some of the Zoras milling about whilst they murmur amongst themselves. It had been a week since you and Sidon became an official couple, and word had spread fast. There were mixed reactions, most of the domain's inhabitants congratulating the two of you and commenting on how cute you were together, which always made the both of you blush. There were a few, however, that were completely against the whole thing, namely the girls who were a part of the former Prince Sidon Fan Club. You still didn't know why the club disbanded or why Sidon seemed to have an idea as to what happened, but he never answered, always finding a way to dodge the question and change the subject on you.

You returned your thoughts to the task at hand and made your way up the staircase to King Dorephan's chambers. The king had specifically requested to speak with you, which was what everyone had been whispering about. Everyone was curious as to why the king would randomly and without explanation request you to come to his chambers. It didn't help your nerves at all that Sidon wasn't going to be there, it was just going to be you and his father, one-on-one. Steeling your nerves, you took one last deep breath before taking those last few steps into the area where the king's throne resided.

"Ah, (Y/N), my child, it is good to see you!" You bowed slightly and gave the king a smile, your nerves melting away a bit due to his friendly demeanor.

"And it is an honor to be speaking with you, your majesty. Though, I have to say, your request was quite sudden and unexpected." The large Zora laughed heartily and smiled at you.

"Yes, I do apologize for that and any inconvenience I may have caused you, but there's something I've wished to speak to you about since I learned that my son is now courting you." You just swallowed hard and nodded, smiling, waiting for him to continue. Your nerves were slowly starting to tense up again, forming a knot in the pit of your stomach. "You see, my dear sweet daughter Mipha, may her soul rest in peace, she too fell in love with a Hylian such as yourself. Though, that union sadly never came to be." You saw a bit of pain flash in the king's eyes before he continued. "I just wanted to make sure you are truly happy here before thing's get serious between you and Sidon. I care deeply for my son, he's a very kind and tender soul, and I need your word that you will not hurt him in any way." His words are firm, but you can see the care in his eyes and you know that he's just looking out for his son, as any father should.

"You have my word, your highness," you nodded slightly and maintained eye contact as you spoke. "I care deeply for Sidon, and though Hylians do fall short of Zoras in some ways, I will do everything in my power to make sure that he stays safe and happy. No matter what the cost." The king seems to relax at your words and the bright smile has returned to his face. "And I promise that I will show him nothing but love and kindness, he has shown me the same from the moment I met him, and by doing so he has stolen my heart." At that you hear something faint behind you, and you're not sure if it's a gasp or the sound of someone walking by, but as you start to turn so that you can investigate, the king's laughter grabs your attention.

"I will be honest with you, (Y/N), that's not the first time I've heard someone say that about my Sidon. But I can guarantee that you are the only one who has seemed to truly mean it, with their entire being. I see the warmth in your eyes, and since you've reassured me I can take great pride in the fact that my son has found such a wonderful Hylian to someday make his queen." Your face immediately begins to burn at the implications of his words, and he just lets out another jovial laugh, seemingly happy with the reaction he got from you. "Now go on, I'm sure Sidon is looking for you as we speak." With a short nod and another bow, you turn and leave the king's chambers, chewing on your lip nervously as you will yourself to calm down. _Come on, come on, you're better than this! You gotta calm down before Sidon sees y-_

With a soft _oof!_ you bounce back from whatever you had run into and land directly onto your rear, wincing in pain. You had been so lost in your thoughts you completely stopped paying attention to your surroundings, causing you to run head-first into some pour soul who had been minding their own business. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, it's my fault for not paying attention, I really am sorry," you started spluttering out apologies as you attempted to stand back up, and when you started to struggle a large hand completely enveloped your own and pulled you up with ease.

"It's quite alright (Y/N), but please, do stop apologizing so much, everyone makes mistakes." The smooth velvety voice flows over you and you smile wide, embracing your Prince before smiling up at him, your arms around his waist. He returns your smile and picks you up swiftly, placing a tender kiss on your lips before hoisting you up onto his shoulders. It may have looked strange to onlookers, but it was something you had both come to enjoy. He rather liked the feeling of your warmth and closeness while you were up there, and you felt completely safe up on his shoulders, able to look around and take in all of the kingdom's beauty while sitting securely atop his form. The two of you had become so much closer in the past few days, and you loved it.

You had also formed a habit of trailing your fingers over the tail that grew out from his head whenever you were lost in thought. From where you sat, you couldn't see the blush that would stain his cheeks a light shade of pink, but you did feel the tail start to wag, so you took that as a sign that he enjoyed it and you shouldn't stop. Eventually the sky grew dark, and as you traced soft patterns over the glowing portions of Sidon's scales, you drifted off into sleep, your head snuggled into your arms atop his head. Once he knew you were fully asleep, he gently took you from atop his shoulders and cradled you in his arms, keeping you close to his chest as he made his way to your room. As you slept, you heard his heart beating and instinctively snuggled into his chest with a soft smile, causing him to blush and mirror your smile.

Soon he had made his way into your room, and as the moon cast a soft glow over everything, he stood and chewed on his bottom lip, pondering. You seemed so content, he was afraid that moving away from you would disturb your sleep... But at the same time, he was worried that if you woke up to find him in your bed, you would feel as though he was moving too fast, and he didn't want you to feel pressured into anything... With a long sigh he pulled your cover back and placed you gently into your bed, and you immediately grabbed your pillow and squeezed it close to you, still fast asleep. He took a moment to gaze over your sleeping form, and smiled. You were so peaceful, just as you were that night he found you up at the top of the waterfall. His cheeks heated up at the memory, and he slowly leaned down towards you. He didn't have the courage to do it then, but things were different now. He slowly inched closer, his scales growing increasingly brighter as his lips neared yours. The two of you had kissed multiple times since then, this wasn't anything new, right?

Slowly, his lips finally connected with yours, and the soft little sound you made sent his heart racing. You were still asleep, he checked, yet you had begun to kiss him back, your hands lazily finding their way up to his face. Mirroring your actions, he gently placed one hand on either side of your face, deepening the kiss slightly as his fingers threaded through your hair. This time it was undeniable, the sound you emitted was a soft moan, and the heat that had pooled in his cheeks slowly spread down low into his belly, resting and growing there with every soft little noise you made. After a moment he forced himself to break the kiss, though he wanted nothing more than to continue, and he sat panting softly on the floor beside your bed. Just as he started to calm down, he saw you shift in your sleep and heard you murmur his name longingly, almost whining. At that point it became too much for him, and he made the decision to leave your room and go to his own before he did something rash.

It didn't help that he was due to go into his heat soon.


	7. Early Morning Swim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg thank you all for your kind words on the last chapter! TwT And thank you for all the concern as well, but I'm doing better now, and writing is very therapeutic for me and helps me a ton, so pushing myself to continue on this is actually one of the best ways for me to start feeling better c: So, with all that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the others!

"Hhhhfffffff..." the prince let out a frustrated groan as he shut his door behind him, pressing his back against it as he pressed the heel of his palm against his forehead. "I really do have impeccable timing, don't I...? I can't believe..." He shook the thoughts from his head and drug himself over to the small pool of water that was his resting area, slowly sinking in up to his mouth. He couldn't risk jeopardizing what he had with (Y/N) just because his body was deciding that it was that time again. He could feel the impending heat working its way into his body, and he prayed to the goddesses to prevent him from doing something insane and ruining his newly established courtship. While he did find her incredibly attractive, and found himself entertaining fairly lewd thoughts about her even before his heat, he knew that most Hylians tended to go rather slowly in their relationships. He wanted to make absolutely certain she was comfortable with getting to that point before he even brought it up to her, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable or pressured into anything she wasn't ready for.

He let out a tired sigh, forming small bubbles in the water, before closing his eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep, his body floating in the cool water. Unfortunately for the poor prince, his previous thoughts resurfaced into his dreams, almost torturing him with images of (Y/N).

** Reader's POV **

You woke up rather suddenly, for no apparent reason, and were feeling surprisingly awake and refreshed, which was new for you. You were normally not a morning person in the slightest, but for some reason you were just overflowing with energy. So, with a broad smile, you hopped up out of bed and dug around in your drawers for some comfortable clothes. Today you opted for a light blue, long-sleeved shirt that was just a tad loose on your frame, along with some shorts that were an off-white color and stopped just below your knees. You glanced at your boots and decided to go without them today, knowing that you were planning on taking a swim at some point during the day.

After you finished tidying up your bed, you quickly ran your brush through your hair and practically bounded out of your room, hoping to find your amazing prince Sidon so that you could invite him for an early morning swim. You were becoming more and more comfortable with your new home as the days passed, and as you waited at Sidon's door after knocking gently, you smiled and waved at anyone who happened to be up at such an early hour. It was mostly the guards doing their rounds, but they seemed pleased to see you and returned your smile happily.

After only a few moments of waiting, Sidon opened his door fully dressed and smiling down at you, though... _I hope he's not sick, his face seems flushed and he almost sounds out of breath..._ Before you could question it he pulled you close into his gentle embrace, and you let out a joyful giggle before leaning up to kiss him. Rather than leaning down to meet your lips, he lifted you in his arms and spun you around gently as he kissed you, both of you smiling through the kiss. Just before you started getting dizzy, from both the spinning and the kiss, he stopped and gently placed you on his shoulders as he normally did.

"Where to today, my love?" he smiled up at you. "You seem as though you have something you wish to do." You nodded and laced your fingers through his as you asked if he would want to go swimming with you. "Well... I do have responsibilities to take care of today..." he murmured in what you knew was feigned disinterest, and you put on your most pathetic looking pout as you leaned over to look in his eyes.

"Pretty please Sidon...?" He let out a soft chuckle and held his hands up, seemingly defeated as he started making his way toward the East Reservoir Lake.

"Oh, since you asked so nicely..." He smiled and placed both of his hands over your legs, keeping you steady as he made his way over the path. Normally he could've easily swam to the lake with you on his back, but you both valued your time spent just talking with one another, and so he decided to take the long way by walking. Your conversations were just as varied and interesting as they were before you came to live in the Zora's Domain, and you were thankful that that aspect of your relationship with the prince hadn't changed. After hopping from subject to subject, you soon found yourself overlooking the lake from Ruto Precipice, and no matter how many times you saw it, the sight before you always seemed to steal your breath away.

"Love, could you put me down now?" you asked him, excited to feel the adrenaline rush through you as you took that plunge into the cool, welcoming water below. He nodded and kneeled down so that you could step down on your own, and before he could stand back up, you gently but firmly pulled him into a kiss. By surprising him with your actions, you also caused him to lose his balance, and he fell forward, landing over you with both hands on the ground on either side of your head. You saw the nervous look on his face and smiled as you placed both of your hands on either side of his face, pulling him down into a warm kiss just as you had in your dream the night before. Soon you felt the adrenaline in your veins as your heart picked up its pace, though this was much different from the adrenaline rush you felt as you dove into the water. No, this sort of rush made your heart flutter as butterflies frantically jumped around in your belly, as well as causing you to deepen the kiss.

You felt Sidon gasp softly in surprise when you just barely flicked your tongue across his lips, and he mirrored your action, his body now flush against yours as your mouth opened slightly against his, allowing him full access to your mouth as your hands trailed over his toned shoulders and arms. You felt his knee gently brush across the now hyper-sensitive area between your legs, and you didn't even have a chance of containing the embarrassingly suggestive moan that flowed from your lips against his.

At that moment you both froze in embarrassment, and you were too flustered and trying to apologize to feel the growing bulge that Sidon was desperately trying to hide as he stood up and held you close. You faintly heard him say something about there being no need to apologize, and calmed down considerably when you felt him press a tender kiss to your forehead.

"Come now darling, you wanted to go for a swim today, right?" You nodded at him and he smiled, though his cheeks were still red. "Then let's go swim. Let me go first though, so that I can double check and make sure the area's clear." You felt yourself smile at his constant concern for your well-being, and with a smile and a quick kiss he was jumping over the edge, plunging gracefully into the water.

** Back to Sidon's POV **

He darted through the water rather quickly, and once he was sure the area was clear, he broke through the surface and gave (Y/N) a thumb's up, watching her as she dove over the edge, her form soon swallowed by the water's embrace. She surfaced almost immediately after, and her obvious excitement was infectious. Sidon had mainly wanted to get into the water as an attempt to calm his rapidly growing arousal, but seeing how at home (Y/N) felt in the water always made his heart soar. He felt a sort of pride seeing how easily she seemed to soar through the water just below the surface.

He and his significant other swam for what seemed to be about an hour, before she started to seem a tad bit worn out. He chuckled at her desire to keep going despite her obvious weariness, and insisted they head back before she pushed herself too far. He climbed out of the water and extended his hand to (Y/N) as she reluctantly agreed. Once her hand was firmly in his, he gave a gentle tug to help her out of the water and almost immediately had to turn away. In that one short moment, he saw her lithe form beneath her clothes, the water causing the fabric to hug every curve of her body, and the arousal from earlier returned full force, along with the fierce blush across his face.

"Actually, (Y/N), maybe we should, ah, take the rivers back so that we can return faster. I am, I'm sure you'd rather change into some dry clothes now that we've finished our swim." She thought he was acting strangely, but without questioning it she agreed to his request and was soon on his back as he climbed back into the water. This way of travel was a bit more torturous to him at the moment, but it was the only way he could think of to hide what exactly was going on with him. Yes, it was incredibly difficult to ignore the fact that her thighs were pressed firmly against his sides, and that her chest was squishing up against his back as he moved, but he didn't want her to see the bulge threatening to make an appearance.

Once the pair arrived at their destination, (Y/N) got off of Sidon's back and looked at him expectantly, failing to notice how his eyes darted away after a moment of examining her form once more. "Well? You're not just gonna stay there for the rest of the day, are you dear?" Her hands were on her hips now, and he growled inwardly, cursing himself for faltering in his self-control.

"I actually can't stay right now, remember, I do have princely duties to take care of." He finally managed to look into her eyes without his own wandering anywhere else, though it took nearly every ounce of his will to do so. "I will return to you before the day ends though my love, I promise you that." He managed a genuine smile as he gazed into her eyes, and once she returned it with a nod, he headed off toward wherever he thought would be the safest. He hadn't thought he would have to take care of this again so soon after this morning, but he needed to quell the burning feeling that had pooled low in his gut and was slowly growing between his legs before it became too much for him to handle.

"This is going to be quite a torturous week..." he murmured as he sped through the water.


	8. Old Friends

Silently you watched your prince swim away, chewing on your bottom lip. He had been acting a little strange since you woke him, and you were starting to worry. With a sigh and a stretch as the warm sun hit your back, you decided that would have to be a conversation you have with him later, when he's not so busy.

You thought about going to your room to change into some dry clothes as Sidon had suggested, but you decided that it was warm enough outside that you should dry off in no time, so you decided to go for a walk around the domain. As you made your way toward the statue of Mipha, a small Zora child, whose name you remembered was Laruta, bounded up to you with an adorably large grin on her face. "Miss (Y/N), may I ride on your shoulders the same way you do with Prince Sidon?" The innocence of her question caused a joyous giggle to bubble up out of you and you knelt down with a nod.

"Of course Laruta, but in return, could you sing me that ceremonial song again?" She hopped up your back and onto your shoulders as you spoke. "I can never get enough of hearing you sing, your voice is amazing." You heard her giggle shyly as her tiny hands rested atop your head. Once you knew she was settled, you stood up slowly and held her tiny feet in your hands, similar to how Sidon held onto your legs when you rode on his shoulders. She started singing then, her voice soft and sweet as she recited the lyrics to the song.

_A gift from the sky; A scale of light_

_Splits the feet of a Veiled Falls sight_

_Your trial awaits... It's glowing bright_

You smile warmly and compliment her on her singing, causing her to burst into a shy little fit of giggles. After a moment you're standing before the statue of Mipha, and you smile softly as you nod slightly with your eyes closed. Ever since your interaction with her spirit upon first arriving at the Zora's Domain, you felt a strange, almost familiar connection with her. Actually, you had slowly been growing to realize that you felt a strangely familiar connection with the entire domain. You were gradually becoming lost in your own thoughts, only to be pulled out of it by a familiar tune. Intrigued, both you and Laruta search for the source of the sound, and a wide grin spreads over your face when you see an old friend perched on a nearby cliff ledge.

"Kass! It's been too long, friend!" The sounds of his accordion stop and he glances down in your direction, brightening up when he sees you. Securing his accordion on his back, he jumps down and lands smoothly in front of you, towering almost as tall as Sidon before you.

"(Y/N)! My goodness, I was wondering where you had gotten to! I hadn't seen you in any of your usual spots, so I thought that maybe you had moved on to another area and I missed you! It's good to see you doing well!" You both laughed and embraced briefly, both happy to see each other. You had grown used to Kass visiting you occasionally while you traveled, and you missed hearing his songs. He had been one of the only friends you had ever made, and he was the only one who knew of your living situation for a long time. "Judging by the way you look, am I correct in my assumption that you've finally found a home in the Zora's Domain?"

You nodded and looked around, smiling. You could tell he was relieved to see you had found a real place to make your home. He had offered to take you back to his home, Rito Village, back when the two of you had first met, and you had gratefully declined, convincing him that it was only because of the climate there. While that had been the truth, it hadn't been the only reason, and you were fairly certain he knew that. You always had a hard time accepting help from others, and you were always thankful that he understood and never pushed it further than he needed to.

"Yeah, Sidon caught me during that recent storm and found out how I was living. He's a great guy but goodness, he's stubborn!" Kass chuckled knowingly as he nodded. "I basically didn't have a choice at that point, the next morning he brought me here and made sure I was gonna be comfortable living here." It was at that point that you remembered the small Zora atop your shoulders, as she had giggled and held onto you tighter, and you looked at her with a smirk. "And just what are you laughing at, little lady?"

"I guess the Prince had a crush on you from the very beginning!" At that you tensed up and looked away, blushing as you crossed your arms over your chest, which only caused her to giggle even more. You could feel a pair of eyes on you as Kass watched you questioningly, his head tilted slightly as he obviously waited for an explanation. You glanced at him and sighed as you let Laruta down from your shoulders, shooing her away with a smile, and failed to see her hiding and peeking out from behind Mipha's statue rather than going off like you urged her to.

Running a hand through your hair you shrugged, looking up at the Rito with a lopsided smile, cheeks still red. "Well, so uh, yeah. Sidon, uh, he asked me to be his mate, a-and I said yes. So..." You gave another shrug and laughed nervously as you rubbed the back of your neck. Kass had known you long enough to be able to see through you, and he could clearly see that your nerves were beginning to get to you. So, being the kind soul that he is, he placed a rough but warm hand on your shoulder and simply nodded his approval, making it known he was willing to change the subject now that he understood. You gratefully snatched up the opportunity.

"So, heh, ya got any new songs done yet?" you nodded just slightly to the accordion on his back as you spoke. He shook his head slightly as he reached for it, and started playing a new little tune you hadn't heard yet.

"I have been working on a new one, but I'm not quite done with it yet. This is all I've managed to get so far." You just listened as he played the calm tune, feeling content as his music worked its magic over your nerves. His music had always been able to help when you were having a hard time. But little did you know, your anxiety was about to shoot right back up soon.

** Sidon's POV **

After finishing his business and making sure he was no longer going to have any issues that day, Sidon made his way back to the Domain, just as he had told (Y/N) he would. The thought of her waiting there for him brought a smile and a slight warmth to his face. Despite the way his heat was making his body react, he cared deeply for her, not just for her physical form, and he had even tossed around the _L_ word in his head a bit. Not that he wasn't sure of his feelings, no, he knew that he had fallen hard for the adorable Hylian girl who stole his breath away. It was just that, he had never had any experience with these feelings and had no clue on what to do with them.

"I truly wish you were here dear sister, you'd be able to help me..." A sad smile ghosts over his lips as he darts through the water, but it's soon gone as he sees his home growing nearer, the knowledge that his beloved was waiting for him there causing a warm smile to bloom on his lips.

However, as he climbed out of the water, a new, foreign feeling settled into his gut at the scene before him. He didn't understand this reaction, she was just casually chatting with Kass, why did he feel this way? Why was he feeling so possessive all of a sudden? Before he could stop himself, he very calmly but firmly made his way over to the pair. The steady sound of his feet on the ground caught the attention of both of them, and Kass bowed slightly as (Y/N) bounded toward him.

"Sidon! I missed my wonderful Prince!" He picked her up with a smile, and she kissed his forehead, not noticing the slight tension in the way he held her and himself.

"Ah, and I missed my shining star." He nuzzled his forehead against hers and she sighed contentedly, blushing at the pet name he had given her, before he placed her back on the ground, making sure to stay close to her as he turned toward the visitor. "And Kass, old friend, has life been treating you well?" He gave the prince a somewhat knowing smile and nodded.

"Things have been going well, I had just decided to make a stop here before heading back home to spend some time with my wife and little one. The beauty of your home always gives me inspiration for new songs," he explained as he looked around, his hands now behind his back. "I just happened to be so lucky as to see (Y/N) here, I hadn't seen her in some time and was glad to see that she's doing well here." He looked back over in the prince's direction, "though I do unfortunately have to make my way back home now, I told everyone I would try to return before night falls but I would like to return home as early as possible."

"Well, it was nice seeing you again Kass," (Y/N) smiled as she looked up at him, reaching her hand out. He took it in his in a firm handshake, returning her smile. "Do make sure to visit sometimes, ok? I'm interested in hearing what new songs you create." With a smile and a nod, he looked back up toward Sidon, placing a firm hand on his shoulder as he started to walk away.

"Sidon." He spoke firmly and quietly so (Y/N) didn't hear. "Don't fret my friend, she has no interest in me, even if I was available. I can tell from the way she speaks about you that she loves you very much." Without waiting for a response, Kass picked up a bit of speed and was soon flying off into the sky, toward the colder area of Hyrule where Rito Village resided. His words lingered in Sidon's mind for but a moment before he gently took (Y/N) by the wrist and led her to her room. He really needed some time alone with her now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah Sidon, you're so adorable when you get jealous, I'm sure it doesn't help that you've got some frustration building up that you need to release ;3c


	9. Make Me Yours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! This chapter is nothing but smut and a bit of fluff, hope you enjoy! ;3

Your head was flooding with confusion and pleasure as Sidon pushed your back to the door and kissed you fervently, almost desperately, as though you would disappear right before his eyes at any given moment. You hadn't protested as the Zora guided you with a firm grasp on your wrist to your room, as you were hoping that maybe this would be your chance to talk to him about what had been wrong with him before, and a chance to calm the raging anxiety that had crashed down upon you when he returned and seemed upset. But you ended up doing anything but talking, too absorbed in his touch, too distracted by the fire he was igniting in you. One hand had a firm grasp on your waist, while the other found its way into your hair as he turned you to putty in his grasp. His kiss was deep and demanding, yet also tender in a way. You let your hands wander over him, his shoulders down to his chest, sliding them down his ribs, over his gills-

Suddenly you heard, and felt, a low growl rumble in his chest as you felt him pull away suddenly. You slowly blinked away the pleasure-fueled haze as confusion worked its way back up into your mind. "D-did I hurt you...? Did... Did I do something wrong...?" You felt a burning sensation grasp your throat, a signal of oncoming tears, as confusion melded with fear. When he looked at you, he was panting, his pupils dilated with a look you had never seen on him before. He could see the fear and anxiety written all over your face, and took a shuddering breath as he took both of your hands in his.

"You've done nothing wrong, (Y/N). I just..." he sighed again and looked away, "I need to stop before this goes too far, before I upset you and make a dreadful mistake." You tilted your head, still confused, and took the opportunity to speak.

"Does... Does this have anything to do with why you've been acting so strangely since our swim this morning?" His gaze snapped back up to yours, and you could see the apology in his eyes before it even left his lips.

"I'm so sorry dear, I haven't been meaning to act any differently, I..." Another sigh shuddered through his lips and he looked down sheepishly. "I've been dealing with a rather... Pressing issue these past few days, and I couldn't have you worrying about it, or feeling obligated to help me before you were prepared to take that next step." The wheels in your head began turning as you worked to put all of the pieces together. The flushed look on his face now, his labored breathing, the way his pupils had been dilated, and the strange way he had been acting almost uncomfortable in your presence...

It finally clicked into place when you remembered how he had looked when you first saw him that morning, and how similar he looked when he helped you out of the lake. "Are... Are you in a sort of... Heat...?" Saying it out loud caused your cheeks to flare up, and his grip on your hands tightened just slightly as he leaned against the door, towering over you.

"I am, actually. My mind has been plagued with thoughts of you, but I preferred you not know about any of it. I didn't want my precious shining star to feel pressured into anything you were not yet comfortable with..." You looked up to see his eyes still shut tight, and you could see the pain on his face from opening up to you about this. He was scared. It was obvious now, he cared about you so much, he put himself through so much torment just to make sure you were comfortable and happy. You had to comfort him somehow, and you decided the best way was to open up to him now, just as he had with you. Your heart started to hammer in your chest, and you gently pulled your hands out of his grasp, causing him to finally open his eyes as you looked up at him, sliding your hands back up over his chest.

"What if... I told you that... I actually have been, uhm," you started to fumble your words and your nerves caused your fingers to tremble slightly as you traced them down his stomach, "I've wanted to take that next step with you, f-for a while now..." You were chewing on your lip now as you used every last bit of your strength to maintain eye contact with him. Waiting to see how he reacts. You see his eyes widen first, before the pupils slowly begin to dilate again, and that same look from before flashes through them again. He reaches down and hooks his arms under your knees, causing you to yelp softly in surprise as he pulls you up and holds you between him and the door. Your hands find their way onto his shoulders as he inches closer, his forehead against yours as he was now at eye-level with you.

"(Y/N)... Are you sure this is what you want? Not just for my sake... But because you actually want this?" You tried to speak but couldn't, feeling as though there was cotton stuffed in your throat, so you nodded, gripping his shoulders firmly. Slowly he leans back in, kissing you tenderly, his hands still under your knees as he kept you securely against the door. You happily relax and melt into him, returning the kiss. Slowly it began to build to the same level of passion as it was before, but a new fire started to burn within you. It was deep in your core, in a place you couldn't exactly put your finger on, but it was there, deep and yearning. Eventually you broke apart to sate your need for air, and your next words tumbled past your lips without a second thought.

"I love you, Sidon." Your words immediately had an effect on him, his hands firm and confident as they held you tight against his chest, and he seemed to puff up a tad.

"I love you too, (Y/N). You are so precious to me, so vibrant and perfect, and I am so very proud that I'm able to finally call you mine." His words made your heart soar, and your lips were firmly against his again, your hands gently holding his face as you smiled into the kiss. Joyful giggles escaped your lips, causing him to chuckle as well, and in one fluid motion he turned and placed you gently on your bed. His form was warm and confident over yours, his hand wandering over you as he peppered your neck with kisses, making you gasp and squirm slightly in delight.

You had never been like this with anyone before, let alone Sidon, but damn he was hitting every pleasurable point you seemed to have, setting all of your nerves ablaze. His fingers worked their way up under your tunic and he hesitated, as though waiting for your approval, and you squirmed slightly, your voice breathy and soft. "Please Sidon... I need you, I need to feel you on my skin..." With your words he eagerly worked the fabric over your head, and you shimmied out of your shorts as he worked to remove all of his adornments. You hadn't worn any undergarments that day, since you had planned to go swimming, so you were now laying bare and exposed before him, watching him with heavy-lidded and lust-hazed eyes. Once he was done, he situated himself between your knees, and you felt something warm and slick against you. No, wait... There were... There were two?? You looked down in surprise, and your eyes widened. He was now fully unsheathed, and you could tell just by looking that even the smaller of the two would fill you completely. They were a dark shade of pink, almost red, and they tapered off at the end. Slightly intimidated, you looked up at him, chewing on your bottom lip.

He caught the look in your eyes and gently caressed your face, rubbing his thumb over your cheek. "Don't worry dear, I don't expect you to be able to take both of them right now." You nod slowly and his hand slowly trails down to your chest, and you suck in a sharp breath as he begins gently massaging your breast, his other hand eventually mimicking the action with your other breast. He seems pleased with your reaction, as you can feel his cocks twitch against your inner thigh, and you let out a soft whimper as he gently rolls your now hardened nipples between his fingers.

Eventually he stopped and you looked up at him, panting and flushed. You could see him breathing heavily as he watched you, seemingly captivated by the sight of you squirming under his touch. You became so lost in his deep golden eyes, you didn't notice his hand working toward your nether region until you felt one of his fingers slowly trail up your slit. Gasping softly, you bit your lip and gripped the sheets beneath you. "S-Sidon..." He hummed an affirmation that he was listening to you as he continued to slowly stroke his finger up and down you, his finger becoming slick as he gently pushed inward. "H-hhaaaa... Sidon, p-please... Be gentle... Nnnnn... W-with me... I... I've never..." Before you can finish your sentence, you trail off into a shuddering moan as you feel his finger push into you all the way up to his knuckle.

"It's my first time too, love," he whispered as he leaned down, his lips moving softly against the pointed tip of your ear as his finger slowly pumped in and out of you. The mewls that escaped your lips were soft and needy as he spoke. "I want this to be perfect... So I'll be sure to start gently, until you're comfortable..." With that he pulls out slowly, satisfied with how slick your entrance is for him, and you whimper softly. With a pleased hum he slowly leans into you, his neck craned slightly to rest his forehead against yours, and your breathing quickens when you feel the tip of him prodding at your entrance.

"P-please Sidon..." Your voice had become thick and needy as you drug your nails gently down his chest, your legs opening some to give him easier access. "I want you, I need you... I-I need to be as close to you as possible..." He let out a deep, throaty hum before taking your chin between his fingers and tilting your head up. His lips pressed firmly against yours and he greedily swallowed up all your moans and gasps as he slowly worked his way inside you, and when you felt his second cock pushing up against your sensitive little bundle of nerves, your moans increased in volume and you arched your body up off the bed. Finally you broke the kiss, desperate for air, and shivered as you noticed he was buried inside you completely, his second cock twitching erratically against you.

"Are you ok, (Y/N)?" His fingers were brushing through your hair, and you were panting softly as you nodded, focusing on the feeling of him twitching inside you and spreading you open for him. Once you felt you had stretched comfortably to fit him, you reached up to take one of his hands in yours while the other trailed over his chest, your voice soft as you finally found the strength to speak.

"Sidon... I think I'm ready now. I... I want you to take me. Mark me, make me yours. I wanna belong to you Sidon, I wanna be yours forever. Please... I need you." The growl that built up in him rumbled through you as he let it out, his hand grasping yours firmly as he slowly began to pull back from you. Just as you thought he might slide out all the way, he quickly pushed his way back into you, the slight burning sensation completely overtaken by the pleasure of him slamming into you, of the ribbed underside of his second cock rubbing wonderfully over that bundle of nerves again. Your moan was deep and shuddered through you, and the sound only drove Sidon to continue. He started thrusting in and out of you slowly, setting a steady rhythm as you arched and squirmed under him, losing yourself to pleasure. You looked up at him and into his eyes, now clouded over with lust, just as yours probably were, before he started trailing his lips from your ear down your neck.

With every thrust of his hips against yours, you moaned and whined, never able to get enough of him. He made you feel so full, so good, so _loved_ , it was almost too much for you. Suddenly, you felt his sharp teeth graze gently over the area where your neck and shoulder met, and you gasped sharply before letting out a shuddering moan and tilting your head to the side, exposing more of your neck to him. You felt him smirk against your skin, and soon he had flipped you both around. He was now leaning against the headboard of the bed, his hands gripping your sides and hips as he held you firmly to him, still filling you completely.

Before you had a chance to really react, he slid one hand up to the middle of your back and pressed you down, your chest pushed against his and your lips just inches apart. Slowly he ghosted his lips over yours as he whispered, "Let me know if this becomes overwhelming for you, dear... I'll stop as soon as you ask me to, if you feel the need." You nodded and gently nibbled his lip, trailing your fingers over his gills as you remembered the response the same action received before.

With a low, almost predatory moan, the prince lunged for your neck, his teeth burying themselves in the skin between your neck and shoulder, and at the same time he started thrusting up into you at a bruising pace, and your mind was immediately on overload with all of the sensations bombarding you at once. His teeth hitting that sweet, sweet spot on your neck, sending chills through your entire being, the feeling of him filling you completely over and over as his cock continued to stimulate your clit, the desperation with which he held you to him, his grip on your hips bruising but in an oh-so pleasant way, it was all almost too much for you. You knew you were making sound, and that it was probably incoherent babbling mixed in with moans of your lover's name, but you couldn't hear it over the crashing waves of pleasure engulfing your entire being.

You soon realized that you were desperately clawing at his back, which he obviously wasn't complaining about, and you could feel heat coiling inside you, begging to be released. "S-Sidon... I... I'm gonna..." His hands slid down to your ass and squeezed it just as hard as he was your hips, and he pulled back to look in your eyes as he never slowed down his thrusting, he was licking your blood from his lips and oh fuck that was hot, you realized with a shuddering moan, warm blood slowly trailing down your shoulder from where his teeth claimed your skin.

"Cum for me, pet. I want to see you come undone, I want you looking in my eyes when it happens. I want to hear those sweet little sounds you make." His voice came out as almost a purr, though low and guttural, laced with pleasure as he penetrated you over and over. Hearing his words was enough to cause that coil to release suddenly, and your thighs trembled as your hips snapped against his, his name tumbling from your lips over and over as you clenched tightly around him. Hearing your cries for him and watching you come undone, paired with the feeling of your heat tightening around him so _deliciously_ caused him to tense slightly as he continued to pound you through both your climax and his. Your name fell from his lips in a long, low moan, and his thrusting began to slow as his energy drained from him.

"S-Sidon... That... W-wow..." You gave him a dazed smile and collapsed atop him, your body completely relaxed as you nuzzled your face into the crook of his neck. He chuckled softly as you felt him slowly sheathe himself, your fluids mixing with his as they coated the insides of your thighs.

"I could say the same thing love. You're so perfect..." His voice was filled with adoration as he looked over your form. Slowly he brushed his fingers through your hair and his eyes fell on the bite he left on your shoulder. He grew concerned and sat you up gently, pulling a whine up out of you. "Hold on just a moment (Y/N), I need to take care of this." You simply nodded groggily, the dopey smile on your lips never fading, and you shivered slightly as his tongue began trailing over your skin. He started at the bite itself, slowly stopping the bleeding, but you were too dazed to question how that worked. Once he was able to stop the bleeding, he gently began lapping at the blood that had dripped down.

"Your scent is so amazing (Y/N), and it appears that your blood is no exception..." His soft words catch you off guard and you shiver again, loving the tender care and affection you were receiving. Once he deemed your shoulder clean enough, you looked down at the mark and blushed deeply at the bruise that was already forming in and around the bite. You loved the fact that he marked you, showing that you belonged to him. You sighed contentedly and looped your arms loosely around his neck as you tenderly pressed your lips against his. Smiling, he returned the kiss and rolled onto his side, pulling your cover up over the both of you as he held you close to him. You broke the kiss with a smile and nestled into him, your body fitting snugly against his.

"I love you, my wonderful prince."

"And I love you, my beautiful shining star."


	10. Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might finally be getting out of this funk and back into the swing of things! Let's just see where it goes from here, shall we?

"Mmmmmm... Huh...?" You slowly reach up and rub your closed eyes with your knuckles, still drifting in a sleepy haze. You feel something pressed against your front, rising and falling steadily as the arms around you pull you closer. Slowly you begin to recall the events from the day before, starting with Sidon practically dragging you to your room, all the way up until...

Your face begins to burn and your eyes open wide as the memories come back to you. Your heart begins pounding in your chest, and when you open your eyes you're greeted with the firm, toned chest of the Zora prince himself. Your gaze slowly travels upwards and rests on his sleeping face, his lips parted slightly to expose the sharp tips of his teeth. _Goddess he's gorgeous..._ you think to yourself, slowly trailing your fingers over his chest. You brush your fingers down his sides, over his gills, and the sound he makes has you biting your lip as an idea bounces around in your head. Slowly you get up and position yourself between the sleeping prince's legs, rubbing circles over his thighs with your thumbs. He's letting out soft little whimpers and moans in his sleep now, and you can feel the heat pooling steadily between your legs, further pushing you to continue with your plan. You see a bulge beginning to form, and you start rubbing your palm over it, trying to coax Sidon's cocks out where you can get to them. Once you feel a bit of the tips poking out, you glance up at him and see him biting his lip in his sleep, noting that his back is now arched as he grips the pillow behind his head, and you lower your mouth down over the tips, pushing out warm air. The sensation seems to have the desired effect, as the prince is now moaning shamelessly as his eyes flutter open ever so slightly, and within moments his cocks are fully exposed and almost completely enveloped in the warmth of your mouth.

"(Y-Y/N), my dear, wh-what are... You... Hnnnnn..." As he speaks you look up at him, meeting his eyes as you start bobbing your head up and down, the girth of both cocks making your cheeks puff out as you do so. As his sentence slowly trails off, his head falls back on the pillow and his hands find their way into your hair, tugging slightly and making you moan. The vibrations from doing this cause his body to jolt with pleasure, and you do it again with a smirk. You can hear him muttering your name over and over again, almost like some kind of incantation, and you grab both cocks with each hand. You can feel him getting ready to say something, but before he gets a chance to, you start messily bobbing your head up and down over his cocks, creating as much suction as you can with your mouth as you slide your hands up and down his shafts, keeping them close to your lips. It's messier than you would normally like, but it's working. You can feel his body spasming as he's already getting close, his hands tugging and gripping at your hair as you go, and soon enough you feel his whole body tense up as warmth begins spurting down your throat, and you swallow it all up greedily. Once he's spent and fallen limp on the bed, you slowly lift up, continuing to create suction on his cocks until they slide out of your mouth with a satisfying ***pop***. 

"(Y/N)... Oh Goddess, that... Was absolutely perfect..." You smile at him, biting your lip, and crawl up over him, laying down on his chest with a content sigh. Before you get to say anything though, the moment is ruined by rushed knocking at your door.

"Miss (Y/N), it's rather urgent, King Dorephan needs to speak with you right away!" Normally you would've pretended to be sleeping until the intruder went away, but you could tell by the urgency in his voice that he wouldn't leave until you responded.

"Alright, alright, just... Give me a moment, I've only just woken up, I still have to get dressed and everything."

"That's fine miss, I can wait right here, just please move quickly!" You let out a groan and, sensing your frustration, Sidon speaks up for you.

"Uhm, excuse me good sir, but would you mind waiting just a little closer to the King's chambers? It would be much appreciated." Upon hearing the prince's voice the Zora begins sputtering apologies, and you hide your now bright red face against Sidon's chest as you hear him scamper away. "There we go my dear, is that better?"

"Sidon! Now whoever that was knows that you've spent the night, and eventually everyone here will find out about us!" He sits you up gently and gives you a confused, innocent look.

"Is that really such a bad thing, my love?" You (somehow) blush even harder and sit on the edge of the bed, reaching over to grab your clothes as he sits up behind you.

"N-No, it's not! I just... I didn't... I'm not exactly the type of girl anyone could see a prince settling down with. I didn't... I was afraid you'd want to keep this a secret." With those words you've finished putting your tunic on and reach for your shorts, but you're stopped by the prince wrapping his arms around you, nuzzling his face into your neck and sending chills down your spine as he pushes against the still tender bruise that had formed overnight.

"(Y/N), my dear... My shining star... I am so proud to call you mine, and I will make sure that everyone knows it. You are mine, and you are loved, and you are treasured. Never forget that. This mark is proof of that." He kisses the bite mark on your shoulder and you feel him smile against your skin when you shiver slightly. "Now finish getting ready and go see my father, it sounds as though it might actually be urgent." With a nod you slip your shorts on, not bothering with the boots, and you turn to give Sidon a hug and a soft kiss, both of you smiling.

"Alright, well, wish me luck dear. I love you." You see him smiling warmly at you as you open the door to leave.

"I love you too, (Y/N). With all my heart."


	11. The Start of Something Big

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is finally given a chance to learn more about herself and her darkened past.

"Your majesty? Is everything alright?" You bow slightly as you speak to the king, trying to mask the worry and fear in your voice.

"You have no need to worry, my dear. You have done nothing wrong, but I have a serious question to ask you." You swallow hard and wait patiently for him to continue, running through every possibility in your mind. _Does he know about me and Sidon? Have I done something to offend him or his people?_ Through the raging thoughts in your head you manage to stay focused on the giant Zora's next words. "You see, I had a sort of... Revelation last night, if you will. A vision of the past. Tell me child, do you remember anything of your parents?" This question was unexpected and you froze, furrowing your brow as you tried your best to remember.

"I... Your majesty, every time I try to... To remember them... It's very foggy..." You're looking down at the ground now, deep in thought with your arms crossed over your chest. "All I can pull from the fog... Is the sight of a woman, who I assume to be my mother... Carrying me and crying, mumbling some sort of... Spell... A large shadowed figure close behind her... It doesn't... Feel threatening though... It feels like whoever it is, is protecting us... From something..." Your head begins to throb painfully and you fall to your knees with a sharp gasp, panting heavily as the guard that escorted you to the King's Chambers runs to your side to help you. You hear the King let out a deep sigh and look up at him, your vision blurring slightly.

"It is as I feared, then. My child, there is so much more to you that you have no idea about. Things about your past that I cannot tell you of, only guide you on the right path to discover these things on your own. Your parents... They were no strangers to our domain." Your eyes widen and you force yourself back up to your feet, coughing slightly and waving away the concerned guard, assuring him that you would be fine. "Do you wish to go on this journey? It might be a difficult one, and-"

"Yes! Yes, of course! I'll do anything to remember my mother and father!" You gasp at the realization that you rudely interrupted the King and bow deeply, apologizing profusely.

"Child, there is no need to apologize." You glance up at him and he's smiling warmly at you. "I understand. Your parents loved you dearly, and I would be honored to do this for them. They want you to remember them, (Y/N). Now that you're old enough to understand, they want you to know everything, even after they've left and moved on to a better place." You force down the sob building in your chest and nod firmly, standing straight and tall. The King chuckles at the sight and gestures his hand toward the South as he continues. "It will be a long journey, and a hard one at that. But you must travel over to Mount Lanayru, and climb all the way to its peak, where the great dragon Naydra will be awaiting you. From there, you must obtain one of its scales, and offer it to the fountain you'll find up there. That is all I can tell you, but by the time you return, all of your questions will be answered." You feel excitement building up in you at the prospect of finally learning more of your foggy past.

"Th-thank you! Thank you so much your majesty! I-I have to go prepare now!" You bow multiple times as you speak before turning and running back to your room, hoping that Sidon would still be waiting there for you so you could tell him the news.


	12. Preparation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon helps reader get ready to travel to Mount Lanayru, introducing her to someone new along the way

As you dash toward your room, shouting apologies to any Zoras you bump into on the way, you feel a soft presence following you before a gentle voice fills your mind.

 _Would you mind if I join you on your journey, (Y/N)? I'd like to help in any way I can, and even though he might not know I'm there, I'd like to see my brother again after all this time._

You slow down, but only slightly, a smile gracing your lips at the sound of Mipha's voice. As you bound down the curved staircase you begin to whisper, your voice too soft for others to hear.

 _"I'm glad to hear from you again, lady Mipha. I would be honored to have you with me during this."_ You can sense her spirit smiling as you stop in front of the door to your room, panting. You reach out to open it, but stop as a question enters your mind. _"Would... You like me to let him know you're with me once we leave? I might be able to help the two of you talk so you can both get closure, i know you miss each other dearly."_ You dont hear it, but more so feel it, when she agrees to the idea, and with a smile lighting up your face you open the door quickly.

"Welcome back dear, it was good news I assume?" Sidon is sitting on the side of your bed, smiling at you as you shut the door behind you. Without missing a beat, you excitedly recount everything that happened during your meeting with his father, ending your mini rant by asking him to a accompany you along the way. He looks more than happy to come along, but also thoughtful.

"The only thing is, I can only go so far with you, for multiple reasons, the main one being that this is your journey, and I want you to do this alone as much as possible. Secondly, I can only venture so far into the cold before it starts to negatively affect me." He gets up and starts helping you pack some of your things as he continues. "And finally, there are things I need to take care of from time to time, as the Zora Prince, so I need to be here as often as possible for those who may need me." He looks at you apologetically, but you just smile and hug him.

"I understand love, I promise. I'd just like a little company in the beginning, specifically yours." He chuckles softly and lifts you up into a hug, placing a soft kiss on your nose.

"And you shall have it, my little minnow. Come on now," he sets you back down and gives you a warm smile, "let's get you properly prepared."

~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~***~~~~~

After about 4 hours of debating and rationalizing what you do and don't need, you've got a new, larger backpack stuffed with warm clothes, food, and your sketchbook. Thanks to Sidon, you also have a silver shield and a silver Zora spear propped up and ready to go by your backpack. He insisted on it, telling you he would feel a lot better knowing you had some way to protect yourself from anything that may happen, and he refused to budge on the issue despite all of Ganon's monsters being wiped out when he was defeated. You're now sitting on the edge of your bed in your pajamas, swinging your legs as you pout at your Prince dramatically. 

"Come on Sidon, I've gotten too used to having my strong, handsome Prince sleeping with me, I won't get ANY rest without you here!" He turns to you and chuckles, smiling, before placing a soft kiss on your forehead.

"As adorable as you are, my dear, and as much as I'd love to fall asleep with you right now, there's something that I must take care of before tomorrow, alone. You may stay up and wait for me if you wish, but I'm not sure how long I'll be. So please, if it gets too late, do get some rest. You're going to need it." You let out an exaggerated sigh and smirk up at him.

"Fine, fine, but only because you asked so nicely." He smiles at you and leans in for a kiss, but you wrap your arms around his neck quite suddenly, taking him by surprise as your lips meet his passionately. He stays over top of you and kisses you like this for a few minutes, but eventually you pull back for air and smile at him, panting softly.

"I'm going to leave now (Y/N), so that im not out too late, ok?" You simply nod, smiling. He matches your smile and kisses you tenderly. "Good night, and sweet dreams my shining star. I love you." He pulls your cover over you and you smile sweetly at him before he leaves.

"I love you too, my wonderful Prince. Stay safe."


	13. Getting Help from an Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sidon has decided to find someone to help reader along her journey since he won't be able to go the whole way
> 
> (This whole chapter takes place in Sidon's POV)

Stretching and stifling a yawn, the Zora Prince exits the room of his beloved, closing the door softly behind him so as not to disturb her as she fell asleep. He makes his way toward the statue of his late sister to say a few words as he always does, and then he's off, diving into the water below the kingdom and following the river that connects the domain to the kingdom of all Hyrule. The swim there is uneventful, but he enjoys basking in the soft glow of the moon as he goes, his glowing scales casting soft pink and yellow light into the water around him. After a relatively short period of time, he has arrived outside of the castle and jumps out of the water and onto the bridge. Fortunately for him, the particular Hylian he's looking for is already outside, caring for his horse in the stables.

"Ah! Link! Just the Hylian I'm looking for!" The boy turns and smiles at the prince, waving him over. Sidon does almost a half-jog to get to him, stopping beside him and gently petting the side of Epona's neck. The normally quiet boy speaks softly to the prince beside him, his attention still on his loyal steed as he ran a brush through her mane.

"So what brings the noble Zora prince to my neck of the woods this evening?"

"Ah, yes, well, I actually have a favor to ask of you. More for someone I care about, rather than myself." The boy glances sideways at Sidon, a smirk forming on his lips.

"Would this someone happen to be of the female variety?" An undignified snort escapes the prince as he looks away to hide the pink hue growing in his face.

"Not that it really matters right now, but yes. That is correct." Sidon glances at Link and presses forward, refusing to make eye contact with the now smug look on his face. "She is being sent on a journey to discover herself and her past, a journey which will take her to the top of Mount Lanayru, a place to which I obviously cannot go." Link nods, a serious look returned to his face. "I plan to accompany her as far as I possibly can, but you are the only being I trust to protect her the rest of the way. Would it be possible for you to undertake this task?" The boy seems to think for a minute and nods.

"I just have to inform the Princess of where I'll be, then I'll be happy to come to the Domain tonight and depart in the morning." The prince claps his hands together with a smile.

"Perfect! I will go on ahead and prepare a room for you to stay in for the night, as well as inform (Y/N) that you will be accompanying her on this journey." The boy stops and turns, eyeing the prince with a hand on his hip.

"(Y/N), huh? Seems like a fairly odd name for a Zora... Unless... She's actually a Hylian?" The blush returns to the Prince's cheeks but he stands his ground this time, nodding firmly with a proud smile.

"She is. I found her living on her own down the river and invited her to stay in the domain with us. And, well... Something blossomed between us, and now... We're mates." He ends his sentence by blushing deeper and puffing his chest out a bit without really meaning to. The teasing look leaves the boy's face and is replaced with a genuine smile, and he gives the prince a thumbs-up before turning and making his way to the entrance of the castle. Turning away, Sidon clears his throat and jumps back into the water, heading back to the Zora's Domain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of interaction between Sidon and Link for ya'll while I get the next chapters sorted out! Hoping to update again soon!


	14. Introductions and a Special Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader meets Link and decides to reveal something to Sidon before setting out on her journey

Once Sidon had returned from his errand, you were finally able to fully rest. Thankful for this, you were fully rested and woke with no issues when a member of the royal guard came and knocked on your door, informing you that the king wished to have an audience with you before you left. Sidon barely stirred when you slowly made your way out of bed, though he did hug your pillow close to him once you were absent from his arms. 

_Cute..._

You chuckled softly and donned your gear for the trip, a simple white top and loose brown pants paired with your trusty leather boots and some matching leather arm guards. With a quick once-over in the mirror, you found yourself imitating Sidon's signature pose and toothy grin, causing you to giggle upon the realization of what you were doing. You quickly cleared your throat before placing a soft kiss on the sleeping prince's cheek, and left your room, shutting the door quietly behind you. You nodded politely at the guard and he escorted you to the King's throne room, making small talk along the way as it was early and there was no rush.

"So, Tottika. I have a question that you might have the answer to." He looks at you quizzically.

"Oh? And what's that?" You lean in towards him, looking around as you lower your voice to a whisper.

"Prince Sidon went on a mystery errand last night, and he keeps avoiding the question when I ask him what it was. All he's told me is that he may have found a solution to his inability to travel to Mount Lanayru with me. You wouldn't know what he was doing, would you?" At this point you're both stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading to the King's throne room, and Tottika was looking around nervously.

"If the Prince himself hasn't told you, then I'm not sure it's really my place..." _Alright then,_ you think to yourself, _time to pull out the big guns._ You put on your best pout and look up at him, doing your best to feign innocence.

"Please, Tottika...? I feel like I should know, since it has to do with my journey and all... I know Prince Sidon means well, but it's made me a nervous wreck not knowing. If you tell me, I promise I'll keep it a secret, and I'll act like I have no idea. So please...?" You hear him grumble softly and you cheer mentally, knowing you've won.

"Look, the prince... He brought someone here to travel with you. He doesn't want you going the whole journey alone, so he went to the castle and spoke with... Uh..." He clears his throat quickly and stands straight at his post, glancing off to the side. You follow his eyes, and once you see what he was looking at you have to keep your jaw from dropping. It was him. Link. The boy who saved all of Hyrule from the Calamity that almost destroyed your whole world. He was just... Standing there, looking out over the water toward the rising sun. He didn't have his famous sword or shield on him, he was just wearing his normal clothes. That blue tunic that held so much meaning to the people of Hyrule. You glance up the stairs toward the King's throne, then over to Link, then at Tottika, asking silently if it would be ok. You see the faintest nod, and you break out in a grin before you all but run over to the blonde boy. He turns upon hearing your rushed footsteps and smiles at you, simply watching as you try to discreetly catch your breath.

"You... You're Link! You, and the Princess, you stopped... Y-you saved all of Hyrule!" The look on his face is one of amusement as you ramble on. "I can't believe it's really you! I-It's an honor to meet you!" You're beaming now, but stiff, unsure of what to do next. Thankfully you see him reach his hand out, and you grasp his hand firmly in a short handshake.

"And you are...?" He spoke softly but just loud enough for you to hear him, and you startled slightly.

"Oh, goodness, where are my manners!" You clear your throat and bow slightly. "I'm (Y/N), and it's a pleasure to actually meet you." You stand straight, confused as you look up to see a knowing smirk on the boy's face.

"Ah, so you're the one. Sidon has requested that I go with you where he can't, up to Mount Lanayru." You nod and fail to notice his eyes scanning you over, landing at the right side of your neck. "So it's true then." Your head tilts slightly at his statement, and when you follow his gaze you feel your cheeks heating up. Turns out, your shirt had shifted to show a slight peek of the scar left behind from when Sidon bit you. You start to stammer and stumble over your words as you quickly adjust your shirt, and before you can get out anything coherent the boy's hearty laugh interrupts you.

"I was glad to see him happy again. I mean truly happy." He rests his hand on your left shoulder and smiles warmly at you. "And I'm sure Mipha would be pleased to see him this happy as well." At the mention of her name, you sense her spirit just behind you, and you could feel so many emotions pouring out of her. Before you could stop yourself, you smile and mutter, mostly to yourself, "Trust me, I know..." He catches it though, and gives you a confused look. Quickly, you clear your throat and excuse yourself, informing him that the King has requested your audience and you really shouldn't keep him waiting any longer. With a rushed goodbye, you tell him again how wonderful it was to meet him and walk briskly up the stairs toward where the King awaited you.

~~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~

"Of course, your majesty." You smile and bow respectfully. "Thank you again, very much." He returns your smile, and excuses you. You walk down the stairs to see that the sun has already risen quite a bit. _Wow, just how long was I in there?_ The King had initially asked for an audience with you to make sure you were well prepared for your journey, but the conversation quickly became more relaxed and you chatted quite normally with him. You also heard quite a few stories of Sidon's childhood, such as the first time he tried to go fishing on his own, taking almost 2 hours to catch one fish that ended up just being a smaller than average Hylian Bass. Or the time he almost hurt himself trying to sneak into the Divine Beast with his older sister. The stories the King told you had you laughing and your heart feeling light, you were overjoyed to hear about Sidon's childhood. Chuckling as you recounted the tale of him trying (and failing) to wield Mipha's spear, you notice Link and Sidon chatting as they walk toward you. Without a second thought, you call out Sidon's name and start running toward him, laughing warmly as you jump into his arms. He chuckles and hugs you tightly, kissing you softly before assisting you up onto his shoulders.

"So I've heard you've already met Link here." You hum in confirmation and smile, waving down at the blonde Hylian. "Alright, so since introductions are out of the way now, shall we get going? Link has brought his steed and another one for you, since I will be swimming back after a certain point."

"Of course, would you help me down so I can gather my things?" Sidon nods and gently sets you down between him and Link, and with a smile you dash off toward your room to grab your things. After getting a few feet away from the two though, you stop and turn slightly, asking Sidon to come with you for a moment, informing him you had something to show him before departing. He looks slightly confused but agrees, excusing himself from his conversation with Link and following you.

"What is it, my dear?" He follows you into your room and you shut the door behind him, locking it.

"I... I have something important to show you. I just couldn't find the right time to show or tell you..." You look away, apologizing softly for keeping something from him for so long, but he takes your cheek gently into his hand and turns you to face him, smiling.

"Darling, whatever it is, I trust that you had your reasons for keeping it to yourself. There's no need to apologize." His kind words cause you to tear up slightly, smiling, but you wipe them away and nod firmly, stepping back a bit.

"Well... Do you remember when you first brought me here? And I kind of, just... Dove into the water for seemingly no reason at all?" He nods, waiting patiently for you to continue as he takes a seat on your bed. "And how I was able to draw Mipha so accurately even though I had only seen the statue of her?" He nods again, slowly. You see the confusion setting in on his features, and you sigh, running a hand through your hair. "Well... It was because of her." He just stares at you, more confused than ever. Taking a deep breath, you close your eyes and begin speaking in your mind, calling out for Mipha. You feel her presence flow through your being, and smile softly.

_"Is everything alright, (Y/N)?"_

_Yes, everything is fine. But... If you're ready for it... I'd like Sidon to know that you've been with me._

You feel her getting nervous, but eventually she agrees.

_"I... I would like to speak with my brother again, yes."_

You smile and open your eyes, looking at Sidon. "Mipha... She's been with me. Since I set foot in this domain, she has stayed with me." His eyes widen incredulously, but before he can speak a faint blue light begins to form between the two of you. Slowly the light takes shape, and soon you're looking at Mipha's back. You see Sidon's eyes fill with tears as he quickly stands from your bed.

"Sister... Is... Is it really you?" You hear her chuckle softly as she nods, and you step back, keeping your back against the wall with a smile as he embraces her spirit. As they begin speaking you look away, feeling as though you're intruding. She talks about how much he's grown, he says repeatedly how much he misses her, and she comforts him, asking him to stop blaming himself for what happened to her so long ago. Eventually the conversation becomes silent, and you glance at them. They're both looking at you now, smiling, and they've both got their arms open to you. Nervously, you push off the wall and approach them, embraced completely in their arms and surprised that Mipha is putting off just as much warmth as Sidon.

 _"Brother... (Y/N)..."_ Mipha begins, almost sadly. _"I... Most likely will not be with (Y/N) when she returns from this journey. Once I help her see this through... I have a feeling that I will finally be able to rest, fully."_ You feel your chest tighten with sadness and tighten your hold on them as she continues. _"I will still be in your hearts though, so long as you keep me there."_ You and Sidon both nod, and you back away again as she begins speaking to Sidon, her form slowly beginning to dissipate.

 _"Sidon. My dear little brother. Always remember that I love you dearly, and I will always be looking out for you."_ He nods firmly and hugs her tightly, tears spilling from his eyes as he struggles to speak.

"I love you too, sister. I always will." She smiles softly and returns his hug before finally vanishing, leaving him standing there, hugging the air with tears in his eyes. You return in front of him, hugging him as tightly as you can as silent tears fall from his face. He lifts you up and sits on the bed with you in his lap, nuzzling his face into your neck as you hold each other.

"(Y/N)..." he finally mumbles against your skin after a few moments of silence, "thank you... So much." You sense him struggling with what words to say next and you place a gentle kiss on his cheek, smiling.

"It was the least I could do, love. I knew you would want to see her again..." After that you both sit in comfortable silence for a few moments longer, gently embracing each other. After collecting himself, Sidon clears his throat and gently sets you down to stand up, smiling proudly. 

"Alright then, (Y/N). Are you ready?" You look up at him and nod, matching his grin with one of your own.

It's time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a quick side note, as I haven't been addressing this lately, but thank you all for the lovely comments! I'm sorry the updates have been so sporadic and random, I'm trying to balance planning the story out and finding time to actually write it ^-^" But all the support for this has really helped! I'm glad everyone's liking it so far! I love writing, but I can never find the motivation to push through my bouts of writer's block. At least, I couldn't for the longest time. But now that I've started this, and I've gained so much support, it's a lot easier! So thank you all for reading and motivating me to keep going! <3


	15. Staying Warm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live! Seriously though, sorry for such long periods of time between updates, I got a new job recently and it's pretty physically demanding, so I've been tired and sore. But I'm getting used to it, slowly, so I'm gonna update as often as I can!

"I am truly sorry, my dear (Y/N)" Sidon mumbled into your hair as he held you close, one arm around your waist as the other supported your rear. "But I must return home now. I promise you'll be safe with Link, though." You whimpered softly in protest and held your grip firm on his biceps, nuzzling your nose into his neck and earning a subtle sigh from him. Gently, he took your chin in his hand and tilted your face so that he could kiss you, his lips soft and inviting against yours. You happily returned the kiss, placing both of your hands on either side of his face as you did so. The kiss ended, much sooner than you would've liked, and the prince sat you comfortably in the saddle of your horse, placing one more kiss on your forehead. You were sad to see him go, but you couldn't help but smile at the action. You hugged his waist as tightly as you could and heard his warm voice above you.

"I truly do love you, (Y/N). And I will be waiting every day for you to return to me." You smile up at him, releasing him from your hug and gripping the reigns of your horse.

"And I love you, Sidon. I promise you that I won't take a moment longer than necessary, and I will return to you as quickly as I'm able to." His smile widened, and your heart fluttered as he quickly grabbed your hooded cape out of your bag, placing it over your shoulders before turning and diving into the water of the river close by. You simply sat and watched him swimming swiftly away, until you could no longer see the red of his scales peeking out of the shimmering water. When you finally pulled your gaze away from the water, you were met with a smug, but warm smirk from the blonde Hylian just ahead of you. You gently patted the neck of your horse, it's light blue coat soft under your fingers, and you silently thanked Sidon for grabbing your warm cape for you. It wasn't until you began moving again that you noticed that the air around you had grown colder. Once you were beside Link and his horse, who you learned was named Epona, you gave him a light, good natured punch to his arm.

"Alright, you can wipe that smirk off your face now." His smile only grew in response and he laughed, causing you to join in with him. Eventually, his gaze drifted to the mountain ahead of you, and when your gaze followed you could see snow off in the distance, just above the base of the mountain.

"We're going to follow that trail and stick to it as best as we can," he said, your horses matching speed so the two of you could stay side-by-side and speak easily with each other. "That trail is the only way we can take our horses up there, otherwise we'll be stuck going on foot." You nodded in confirmation and followed his lead, only stopping momentarily to put on another layer of warmer clothes in preparation for the cold you knew you were about to endure.

 

Several hours had passed, and the sun was now beginning to set. Link had pointed out a sort of shelter for the two of you to rest under for the night, a large rock jutting out over a patch of flat land like a roof, shielding the area underneath from the snow. The two of you guided your horses over to it, dismounting and giving each of them an apple as the both of you set to work. While Link searched for some flint to start a fire, you collected some loose wood lying around, gathering up splintered logs in your arms. Once you were far enough away from Link, you spoke freely as you sought out Mipha's spirit.

"Mipha, could I speak to you for a moment?" Almost immediately, you felt her warm presence though you couldn't see her, and you smiled.

_What is it (Y/N)?_ You glanced back toward your makeshift shelter, making sure Link truly was out of earshot before speaking.

"Tonight, once I've fallen asleep. Speak with Link as you did with Sidon before. But only once I've fallen asleep, please. It was one thing with Sidon, but Link... Well, I barely know him. And I know how you feel about him... So I don't want to intrude on your time with him." You smiled warmly, hoping that even though you couldn't see her, she would see you smiling and understand that you want her to have time alone with Link. You continue to pick up logs when you feel her hesitation, but eventually she responds.

_Are you sure, (Y/N)?_ You simply nod, still smiling, and start walking back toward where Link is now standing with Epona, running his fingers through her mane. With your answer you feel Mipha's happiness warming you from within.

_Thank you, so much._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll admit, I have no idea how I would write the interaction between Link and Mipha. So, that bit is going to be between this chapter and the next, that way you can imagine that part however you want. But, to make up for this chapter being so short, I'm going to immediately start on the next one once this one is posted


	16. Almost There

A cold snowball pelted you in the face as you slept, causing you to jump and cry out in shock. Your head whipped around frantically, confused and dazed from having just woken up, and your gaze quickly settled on the blonde man in front of you, now snickering as he sat across the fire from you. The sun was just starting to rise, causing the ice and snow around you to sparkle, almost magically. Once you were fully awake and able to grasp what had just happened, you laughed and made your own snowball, beaming him in the back of the head as he stood up and made his way toward the horses. With the way he immediately froze in his tracks, you couldn't help the laughter that belted out of you now. He simply glanced back at you with a smile before grabbing the reigns of both horses and made his way back to you, handing over your horse as he kicked snow over the fire, effectively snuffing it out.

"Come on, let's get going again." He used the log he had been sitting on to kick the snow off his boots and hopped up on Epona's back, and you found yourself following suit and jumping up on your own horse. "If we start now, with the pace we've been going at, we should be there before nightfall." You smiled at him and nodded as Epona trotted past, allowing him to take the lead before following close behind.

The snow had stopped overnight, and you gazed in wonder at the scenery around you. Through your breath, visible in the chilled temperature, the sun caused all the ice and snow around to glitter. It was beautiful, and making sure your horse would stick to the trail behind Epona, you took a blue pencil and your sketchbook out of your bag, carefully sketching the things you saw. As you drew, a comfortable silence settled over you and Link, with him just looking back occasionally to make sure you were holding up alright.

After you finished sketching the scenery, you grabbed two more pencils from your bag, one a deep brown and the other a dark yellow. With the brown pencil, you roughly sketched the view you had of Epona from behind, her tail swishing softly in the cool breeze. Then, using the same pencil, you drew the back of Link's hooded cloak, with the hood down, so that you could use the yellow pencil to finish the sketch by drawing in his hair, tousled by the same cold wind that shifted Epona's tail around. You held the finished product at arm's length in front of you, and, feeling happy with your work, you closed the book and slipped your materials back into your bag. Your hands found the reigns again, and you gently patted the horse on it's soft neck, an action he had grown to enjoy. He let out a soft whinny, his breath escaping in a white puff, and you smiled. You truly enjoyed how peaceful the world was right then. You only wished Sidon could have experienced it with you.

With that thought, you decided to take your book out once more, flipping to the next blank page as you took your basic black pencil and began writing. You wrote it as a sort of letter to Sidon, so you could give it to him when you returned. It was easy, as though you were talking to him right then, you could practically hear his responses in your head. You knew he would appreciate the gesture, and you smiled to yourself as you switched from admiring the scenery around you to writing, back and forth, until you realized that Epona had slowed down, and Link was now right beside you.

"Thank you." His voice was soft, but you managed to hear him over the breeze surrounding you, and you gave him a confused look as you closed your book, placing it into your bag again. He kept looking ahead though as he continued to speak.

"I saw Mipha last night." With the faint smile ghosting over his lips, the memory of your conversation with her the night before returned, and you smiled at him. "She told me how she's been with you since you entered the Zora's Domain, and how she felt as though she was meant to help you along this journey of yours." His smile brightened a bit as he looked at you. "I'm glad I got to speak with her just once more. Thank you again." You simply returned his smile, nodding wordlessly as he made his way ahead of you again.

 

The rest of the trip passed by rather uneventfully, save for the occasional woodland creatures you passed by, most of which you took the time to sketch out in your book, in the same shade of blue you had taken to drawing with while surrounded by the snowy scenery. Eventually though, just as the slight shades of orange began bleeding into the sky from the setting sun, Link was beside you again, smiling as he gestured to the top of the mountain, the giant crystals catching your attention before anything else.

"We're almost there, (Y/N). Think you're ready for whatever's gonna happen?" You thought about it. Were you really ready though? You essentially had no clue what brought you here in the first place, what drove you to travel such a distance. An image floated into your mind, the very distant memory of being in your mother's arms and looking up at her with confusion as she ran, everything flying past your vision. The large figure just behind her, running with her, away from whatever was chasing them, who you assumed to be your father. Closing your eyes tight, you nodded.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

He chuckled softly next to you, and when you looked at him, he gestured ahead for you to lead the way. You did, following the clear trail as snow began falling again, and you pulled your hood up as your gaze stayed set on the top of the mountain, determined to finally find out what had happened all that time ago.

Your heart was beating in your chest in time with the sound of your horse's hooves thumping through the snow. You trembled slightly, nervous. Slowly, you saw crumbled pillars peeking out from the snow, and a statue nestled between all of them. As you approached it, your heart picked up speed, and you stopped your horse so you could jump down, your bag secured on your shoulders. Link was soon standing next to you with a hand on your shoulder.

"Go on. I'll watch from right here. I won't leave unless I have to." You give him an appreciative smile before hugging him, and you take slow but precise steps toward the old spring, the water somehow untouched by the freezing air surrounding the area. Once in front of the statue, you kneel instinctively, your hands clasped together in front of you and your head bowed respectfully. After only a moment of waiting, you hear a voice in your head.

_(Y/N). Here, you will find the answers you seek. You need only offer a scale from the great dragon, Naydra, and everything will become clear._

Suddenly, there's a rumbling all around you, and you look up to see the aforementioned dragon landing gracefully upon the ruined pillars of the spring, it's nose no more than a foot away from your face. Now, it's voice was all you heard in your mind as you looked into it's eyes.

_You have come here with a purpose, dear child. I can sense only good in you, and as such, I will allow you to freely take one of my scales, so that you may receive the answers you seek._

You can only stare in awe as the dragon dips it's head down lower, allowing you access to the scales atop it's head. Before anything else, however, you simply trail your hand softly over the rough scales, amazed that you're allowed this close to one of the great dragons of legend. Your hand stops at a scale that feels loose, as though it was about to fall off, and it comes off with a gentle tug. Once you have the scale, you hold it close to your chest, watching with wonder sparkling in your eyes as the dragon slowly ascends, gliding toward a spiral of clouds way up in the sky.

That's how you stay, until the dragon is completely gone, and the spiral of clouds has vanished. Slowly, you look back at Link, eyes wide and crinkled by the grin plastered onto your face. He looks as amazed as you feel, and gives you an approving thumbs up before attending to the horses. You then turn back to the statue, kneeling once again.

Gently, you place the scale in the water, watching as it begins to glow with a magical light. The voice in your head now is different from the one before, softer, warmer.

_"(Y/N)... I've missed you so much..."_

The voice brought waves of familiarity washing over you and your eyes shot open, and upon doing so you realized you were surrounded by water, just as you were when you first encountered Mipha's spirit. The figure standing before you wasn't Mipha though, and was much clearer than when you spoke with her. This was the same face that haunted your memories for as long as you could remember, the same loving gaze you saw in your dreams despite how serious the situation always seemed to be. You stood, a sob causing your voice to falter as you uttered a single word.

"M-Mom?"


	17. Mom?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY! ;;^;; I hope you all can forgive me for taking so long on this "OTL
> 
> I've gotten a new job recently that eats up a lot of my time and energy, so I've been struggling to find time to update this and other stories I've been neglecting. Again, I'm so sorry!
> 
> I'm not making any promises, but I swear I'll do my best to update from now on

Before you stood your mother, so clear and solid that, at least for this moment, she wasn't just a spirit, or a memory. She was real. She was THERE.

That realization is what broke down the floodgates of your mind.

"Mom!" You practically shouted as you threw yourself at her, your arms around her neck as you sobbed and she held you close. You felt soft droplets hitting your shoulder, and knew that she was crying too.

"My dear, sweet (Y/N)... Oh, how you've grown..." Her hold on you tightened and you simply nuzzled your face into her neck, her scent calming you. "I've waited so long for this day... When I can explain everything to you..." You felt her start to pull away and you did the same, looking up into her warm, loving gaze. You were smiling so wide that it almost began to hurt, joyful tears still slipping down your cheeks.

"I'm just so glad... I've longed to see you again for as long as I can remember, and dad too... I only wish I could remember his face..." You cast your eyes downward as shame washed over you. "I feel so terrible for not remembering... The only memory I have, and I can never see his face... Only his shadow..." The tears started falling harder then, before you felt a soft hand lightly grasping your chin and lifting your head up. Your mother was smiling, and she sat down, patting the spot beside her as she spoke. You took a moment to glance around as you sat; you were still surrounded by gently flowing water, but didn't appear to be affected by it, seeing as how you were still completely dry save for your tears.

"(Y/N), sweetheart... That is not something you should blame yourself for. It's my fault you don't remember." You looked over at her then, confused. She simply looked down in her lap with a sad smile as she continued. "Not only did I pray to the Goddesses to watch over you, but I also used the last of my magic that night to put a spell over you, to protect you until you were old enough." Her hand grasped yours tightly, and you leaned into her, closing your eyes. "You see, (Y/N)... Your father and I... We knew we weren't going to make it through that night. But we were not going to let them take your chance at a full and happy life." She let out a sigh and squeezed your hand lightly. From there, she recounted in great detail the destruction that the Yiga clan caused that night. No one ever knew why they destroyed your home town, no one had the time to find out. Everyone was either running for their lives or hiding and hoping they wouldn't be found. But your parents had you to worry about, so they ran. Hoping to get you somewhere safe. They did just that, having left you at a well-hidden shrine, praying for the Goddesses to protect you until you were old enough to fend for yourself. They were captured though, as they knew they would be, but your mother had no recollection of what happened after that. She hadn't planned on trying to remember either.

"And as for your father... Well..." You opened your eyes and sat up, turning to look directly at her and into her soft eyes. "Blocking the image of him from your memory was his idea. He didn't want you to grow up conflicted about who and what you are."

"What... What do you mean? What I am?" You took both of her hands in yours, pleading with her. "Please, mom, I have to know." She chuckled softly with a warm smile before looking over your head, behind you. 

"Maybe you should explain it to her, dear. I believe she's ready." Your heart started hammering in your chest and you stood up immediately, turning slowly to face whoever was standing behind you. Once your eyes met his, you choked out a gasp and stumbled back a bit.

"Dad? But... But how...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a short chapter but I'm immediately working on the next one as soon as I upload this one!


	18. Dad!

Your mind went completely blank as you stared up at the figure before you. All you could do was look up at him and back down at your hands, your brain trying to piece everything together as your mouth opened and closed, almost akin to a fish out of water. Which, given the current situation, was ironically fitting. Your head snapped back up, however, when you heard warm laugher coming from him.

"Y-You're a... So that means... I'm..." He grasped your shoulders firmly and nodded, smiling warmly down at you as the vibrant purple tail fin flowing from the back of his head swayed softly. 

"We are both Zora, my dear (Y/N). Although it may not appear so, Zora blood flows through your veins just as strongly as it does through mine." Your throat dried up, and the last thing you remember is your vision going dark.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"....fretting dear, I'm sure she'll be fine." Slowly you hear voices drifting in and out, and let out a soft groan, grasping at your head.

"What happened...?" You feel whoever's holding you tighten their grip on you and start placing frantic kisses on your forehead.

"You blacked out for a moment, but you're fine now. I'm so sorry (Y/N), I know that was a lot to take in at once, but I didn't realize..." As his thought trails off your eyes shoot open wide as you remember.

_Mom. Dad. This is real. This is really happening._ You immediately sit up straight and look at your father, fully taking in what you see this time. He appears tall, but you remember that he's actually at about average height for a Zora. His scales are a vibrant shade of purple, and any markings he has, along with the skin on his stomach, are a light lilac. You look up into his piercing yellow gaze, then back down at your mom, who's now smiling at you since you're awake and ok. You step away from them both and look down at yourself, over your entire body, before looking back at them.

"So then... Wait... Mom, you said you cast a spell on me. What... What all did that spell do? Does that spell... Does it have anything to do with why I've lived for so long without really aging?" You see your mother glance up at your father, and he helps her up to hold her close to his side, nodding at her before they both look back at you.

"Well, darling... It might be easier to just show you." With those words, they both smile softly at you before your mom clasps her hands together and closes her eyes, muttering words too softly for you to hear. Before you can ask what she's doing, you can feel yourself being lifted up, and a vortex of water starts swirling quickly around you. All you can see through the swift current is the shadows of your mom and dad, and everything feels tight. Too tight. Too closed in. Your skin feels like it's stretching, shifting, and just before the sensations become painful, all feeling ceases. You realize you closed your eyes at some point, and open them slowly, the vortex of water vanished completely. Before you stands your parents, as before, but... It's different. You don't have to look up as much to look into your father's eyes. Instead, you now have to tilt your head down slightly to look at your mother. Their smiles are warm, pride in their eyes as they watch you. Confused, you lift a hand in front of your face, and it feels as though your heart stops.

_Webbed hands... With purple scales, like father... Yellow nails..._ You turn your hand over, stretching your arm out before you. _Fins on my arms..._ You glance downward now and wiggle your toes, taking in your entire appearance before looking back to your parents, your face bright and eyes filled with awe.

"This... This is the real me?" They both nod and you feel your chest swelling as your vision blurs with tears, and you grab them both in the biggest hug you can manage. Without exchanging a single word, so much is conveyed in that one hug. Relief, at finally feeling at peace with yourself and who you truly are. Love, shared between you and the parents you'd been missing for so long. And just pure happiness, emanating from all three of you. You realize that you're crying, but can't be bothered to stop, refusing to release your parents from your hug. Eventually though, you feel them start to pull away, just enough that they can both get a good look at your face. It registers in your mind that their images are becoming more transparent, and you begin to panic, to which your father responds by placing a warm hand on your shoulder, your mother's soft hand finding its way up to your cheek.

"Hey, don't cry now, little star fish." You smile at the nickname that you vaguely remember your father giving you as a child, now that the spell blocking your memories is gone. Your mother speaks now, and you close your eyes as you focus on the warmth of her palm on your cheek.

"You've grown into such a strong young woman, and we're both so proud of you. We have to leave now, but know that we are always watching you, always with you in here." She points to your heart then, and you open your eyes as tears trail down your face. You give them the biggest smile you can, showing off your now sharpened teeth, and your father chuckles.

"That's my girl. Now go on, go live your life, and be happy. Oh, and one thing before we go." You look in his eyes, and his face is more stern now, even as it slowly fades. "Just because that boy is a prince, doesn't mean you can't teach him a lesson if he doesn't treat you right. If he ever does something wrong, don't be afraid to lay down the law. Got it?" You laugh through the tears and nod, giving them one more tight hug.

"Mom. Dad. I love you both so much. I'm so glad I got to see you again." You feel them return your hug for a moment, before the sensation disappears and your arms come together as they fade away completely, leaving only their voices ringing in your ears.

_"We love you too, (Y/N). So much. We'll always be with you."_

You stand in silence for a moment, smiling and wiping your tears away as the water continues flowing all around you, before suddenly you're standing on solid ground again, all the water cascading down around you and into the spring you were standing at before your parents came to you.

"No way..." The voice behind you is quiet, full of disbelief, and you turn toward it with a broad smile, holding your arms out wide. Link is staring at you with wide eyes, taking in your new appearance. "(Y/N)? Is it really you?" You just nod, beaming with excitement, and though his eyes remain wide he smiles at you, his happiness for you evident. "So I assume everything went well? And you got the answers you came here for?" You nod again, faster this time, and take a step toward him before stopping. Your smile drops a bit, and you look down at the snow beneath your feet.

"Oh no..." you mutter to yourself. "How am I gonna get back to Sidon now?" You look back at Link as panic begins to take over, and he rushes toward you as he pulls out his Sheikah Slate.

"Here, I can get you back quickly, but I won't be able to go with you." He sees you beginning to protest and shushes you before continuing. "I'll be fine going down the mountain on my own. Promise. Just keep this Slate safe for me until I can make it back to the Zora's Domain. Can you do that for me?" You simply nod and look down at the Sheikah Slate as he taps around on it, not trusting yourself to talk. Within mere moments, he's handing you the slate and explaining where to tap on the screen once you're ready. You look at him and hug him tightly, lifting him off the ground slightly due to your new height advantage, and set him back down with a grateful smile.

"Thank you so much, Link. Please be safe and get back soon." He nods and gives you a thumbs-up, smiling confidently. Returning his smile, you stand up straight and tap on the screen as he told you to. In the next moment, all you see is bright blue lights whizzing past for only a second, then, you're standing at the entrance to the old shrine located within the center of the Zora's Domain. With the Slate grasped firmly in your hands, you begin making a mad dash for the King's Chambers.

As much as you wanted to find Sidon first, you had to speak with the King and thank him for helping guide you on your journey, and helping you finally discover who you truly are.


	19. Welcome Home

The inhabitants of the domain shoot you strange looks as your feet slap against the ground, but they're the last thing on your mind at the moment. Right now, clutching your borrowed Sheikah Slate protectively to your chest, all you care about is finding the King and speaking with him.

There was so much you needed to say.

You're so focused on this task, in fact, that you fail to notice your Prince off to the side speaking with Tottika.

**[Sidon's POV]**

"Well yes, of course I'm worried about her being gone for so long, but I trust that she'll be safe with the Hero Link." He smiles confidently at the guard before lowering his voice to a whisper. "I do miss her dearly though, and I hope she returns soon." Tottika gives him a smile and a nod.

"I'm sure she will, your majesty. Everyone here can tell how much she cares about you, and it's obvious she'll do everything in her power to get... Back to you as soon as possible..." His voice trails off, distracted, and Sidon glances at him to see him looking away curiously. Tilting his head, he follows Tottika's gaze and sees a female Zora with purple scales dashing past the two of them, someone he doesn't recognize at all. And...

_What is that she's clutching so tightly to her chest? She seems in quite a rush to get to father's chambers... Maybe I should go and make sure everything's alright?_

Sidon politely excuses himself, and with an understanding nod from Tottika, makes off to follow the strange girl.

**[Reader's POV]**

"Your majesty!" you practically shout as you stumble in before the King and throw yourself down on one knee, panting as you attempt to catch your breath. "I apologize greatly for barging in without permission, but I- I'm back! And I wanted to thank you!" You feel his gaze on you as you keep your head bowed, and once your breathing slows a bit you lift your head, making eye contact with the king. He squints his eyes at you, and you can tell he's thinking on what to say before he speaks.

"You... Hm." Worry settles in your gut as you realize he might not recognize you, and you stand up, holding the Sheikah Slate out at arm's length before him.

"Your majesty, it's me. (Y/N). I've returned from the Spring of Wisdom, thanks to Link lending me his Sheikah Slate. I spoke with my mother and father, and-"

"Ah!" He claps his hands together and you jump slightly at the sudden noise. "No wonder you seemed so familiar! You're the spitting image of your father, you know." He laughs at the confusion visible on your face and you drop your arms to your sides, the Slate still secured in one hand.

"You... You knew him?" Your voice wavers just a bit, and he nods. 

"Many of the inhabitants here did, my dear. And many of them knew your mother as well. I just wish it hadn't taken me so long to realize you were their daughter, given how much you looked like her at the time." You open your mouth to speak, but he raises his hand, and you remain silent. "I know you wish to ask about your parents, but now is not the time for all of that. There's someone else you must re-introduce yourself to at the moment." With those words his gaze trails behind you, and you turn around, following it.

Standing there, in the entrance, is your Prince. His expression is a mixture of different emotions, eyes wide with wonder, head tilted to the side in confusion, and a broad happy smile on his lips.

"(Y/N)? Is it really you?" You nod and take a step toward him, your free hand coming up to rub the back of your neck nervously. He walks up to you quickly and places one hand on your hip, using the other to gently grab your chin and tilt your head up to look into your eyes. "I always did think purple looked good on you." You begin to giggle at his statement, but you're soon silenced by his lips pressing firmly against yours, and your heart flutters in your chest as you return the kiss, grateful for how much easier it is now that you're so much taller. All too soon though, the kiss is over, and he's holding you tightly with his chin on the top of your head. His next words are soft, but they send your heart soaring.

"Welcome home, my love."


End file.
